Taking Flight: A HeartGold Nuzlocke
by LEder
Summary: Gray is not really interested in going on a Pokemon adventure. In fact, she hasn't even come out of her house in Violet City, in the last 5 years. Now, at the age of 16, she's forced on a journey that would teach her to leave the nest, and test her limits
1. Chapter 1

**Taking Flight : A HeartGold Nuzlocke**

**1. If a Pokemon faints, it dies  
2. Catch only the first Pokemon on each Route**

* * *

**New Bark Town 6:57 PM  
**The sun is setting by the time the family's Fearow lands outside a large building surrounded by windmills. The wind nearly knocks the cap off of your head, and you stumble a little when you jump off of the harness on Fearow's back. It just isn't your day now, is it?

There's this weird guy waiting to greet your parents in the doorway of the large building, and you cross your arms and fiddle with your bag's clip.

"Thank you so much for letting our Gray come over so late," your father says. "This just might get Gray to finally start on her Pokemon journey."

"No problem," the man replies. "Your son is in good hands. I'll get him started."

You scowl and pull down the brim of your cap. "I'm a girl," you mutter, but the guy doesn't hear you.

You watch as your father thanks the man yet again and bids farewell to you. He leaves you there. Before you can comprehend that you are on your own, the man drags you inside, blabbering enthusiastically about his research or something.

"-And that is why I'm going to let you have one of these Pokemon to walk around with!" Professor Elm finishes with a self-satisfied grin. He motions to a rack of three Pokeballs.

You have no idea what's going on, but you play along and grab a random Pokeball from a rack. It clicks open, and a blue baby crocodile thing hopped out. You recognize it as a Totodile from the books your parents always shoved in your face.

**Cicero Lvl. 5  
Male Totodile  
Adamant Nature  
Proud of its Power  
New Bark Town**

The Totodile looks disoriented for a moment, then waddles over to you. Kneeling down to greet it, you decide to ignore the razor sharp teeth in the Pokemon's jaws.

"Totodile." You say. "I am Gray, and you shall henceforth be named Cicero."

It yawns, and it becomes very hard not to notice the knives in its jaw. It waddles around you to get its bearings, and you turn back to the Pokemon Professor.

He was looking at his computer before he notices you. "Ah, may I ask a favor, son?"

"I'm a girl."

"Yes, indeed." He continues. "Dear boy, a dear friend of mine, Mr. Pokemon wants to show me something that he found. But it's late and there are more dangerous Pokemon active around here. So could _you_ go and see what he wants?"

"Dangerous Pokemon?" You repeat. This was exactly why you didn't want to go on the traditional "adventure" your parents swore by. "How is that a good idea?"

"So you'll do it? Great!"

"But I-" Before you could answer the madman, he tossed Cicero at you and pushed you out the door with a couple of potions. Now it's definitely _not_ your day at all.

* * *

**Route 29 7:04PM**

The first thing about Route 29 that you notice is that it is nearly dark. You wish your parents gave you a flashlight. Maybe you could buy one from a store on the way. Cicero chirps and squeaks little rattling noises at you as he clambers up your leg and onto your shoulder. He's pretty heavy, but you dare not drop him. After all, you can actually the feel click-clicking of his razor sharp teeth near your ear. You like your ears where they are, thank you.

And then you hear the cries of the nocturnal Pokemon. Holy Arceus, this was terrifying. Why couldn't your parents drop you off in the morning instead of at night?

_Gray, Gray won't go away,__  
__She'll stay home for another day._

You shake your head to clear the mocking voices of her peers from Violet City, and Cicero scolds you with small nudges for nearly shaking him off. There are Pokemon rustling all around you, and the sun has almost set. Night was closing in.

Cicero leers at the HootHoot, and then wriggles around your shoulders so that he's hanging off of your neck. Again, he's heavier than you'd expected, but again, you like your face exactly as it is. While you're lost in thought, something snaps a twig behind you, and you hear screeches all around you. It's completely dark now, and the only lights you can see are the glowing eyes of the Pokemon all around you. Cicero tugs at you hair for a bit before hopping down to the ground and taking lead. You try to follow his distinctive chuckles and the bouncing yellow lights coming from his eyes. Cicero always came back for you whenever you lost track of him, and you resolve to get him some nice good treats later on.

You pass by many fainted HootHoot in Cicero's wake, and you don't know whether to feel a bit nauseous or a bit grateful. You reserve your judgement on that matter.

* * *

**Cherrygrove City 7:39PM**

It seems like you spend eternity in darkness before you see the lights of Cherrygrove City. Holy Arceus, you're pretty happy about making it there in one piece. Mostly. Your nerves are completely shot, and you feel like you're about to burst into tears or go on a mental breakdown. You do neither when Cicero jumps on your shoulders again. Instead, you nearly have a heart attack, to put it mildly. He chatters nonsense in your ear, and it somehow calms you down a bit.  
You brush past the PokeCenter, and head straight for the PokeMart. You want a flashlight, and that's all there is to say on the matter. The store's florescent lights leave you blinking back tears after a while in complete darkness, but the clerk didn't ask any questions and just waved you away. You're grateful for that. You don't think you could handle any other human interaction for now. It's already bad enough being kicked out of your home and sent on this mad quest. But, hey, you got your new flashlight, so you're happy.

Before you leave Cherrygrove City, you check your PokeGear that your father had given you before he dragged you onto his Fearow. The screen showed that it was getting quite late, so you decide to step up your pace so you can get this errand over with. You miss your room already.

* * *

**Route 30 7:48PM**

Route 30 wasn't much different from Route 29, and with Cicero decapitating or pulverizing every little bug or bird in his path, you find this Mr. Pokemon's house in a little grove. To heck with politeness, you barge inside and collapse, catching your breath. Your little companion chuckles madly and latches onto your red jacket with his little stubby arms.

* * *

**Mr. Pokemon's House 8:10PM**

Mr. Pokemon gives you a too-big grin when you say that Professor Elm sent you, and nearly shoves an egg into your arms. It's lighter than you'd expected, and try to keep Cicero from gnawing on it. There's another person in Mr. Pokemon's home, someone you recognize from all the lectures in the Pokemon School before you stopped coming. Professor Oak simply looks at you briefly, and then plucks Cicero from your shoulder to examine him. Your little Totodile screeches until the man laughs and places him back on the ground. He runs back to you and clings onto your leg. You decide to put the fragile egg into your backpack.

"My name is Professor Oak," the man says, "and you're a very lucky boy to have such a rare Pokemon! I believe I can expect great things from you, great things."

"I'm a girl." You say, though you feel that it would not make a difference.

Professor Oak looks at you with pity. But he smiles. "Of course you are, lad." Cicero growls a bit, sensing your frustration and anger, but you pick him up. Oak fishes around in his lab coat for a moment before handing you a flat, palm-sized device. "This is a Pokedex," he says,"it records information on Pokemon you've seen and captured. I have a feeling you'll put it to good use."

And then Cicero starts to gnaw on that too. Great.

The two men usher you out after a brief rest, and you find yourself, once again, in the dark.

* * *

**Route 30 8:30PM**

You fish out your flashlight, and flick it on, spreading fearsome shadows across the ground. You see the glowing outlines of nocturnal Pokemon all around you. Forget that, you quickly shut off the damn thing. Cicero can guide you. You nearly freak out again, when your PokeGear lets out a beep-beep. You tap your wrist, and Professor Elm's voice rang out in the night.

"H-hello? Gray?" He sounds a bit out of breath and panicky. "O-oh, Arceus, you have to come back here, quickly! Oh, how terrible."

"Professor?" you say quietly, but the call ends.

Okay, now you feel nervous again. You heft your backpack, taking care to check in the egg, and start running to Cherrygrove City. Maybe you can call back and find out what happened. Cicero, leading you through the tall grass, keeps the wild Pokemon at bay. And, sensing your nervousness, he continues a stream of crooning as you run.

* * *

**Cherrygrove City 8:56PM**

You have to stop running for a break after you come to Cherrygrove. Sometimes you regret your 5 year seclusion, and now is one of them. But the feeling goes as fast as it comes, and you sit down to check on the egg. It's unbroken, and still warm to the touch. You feel a slight pull toward it, but chalk that up to your nervousness. You only just step toward New Bark Town when you bump into a boy with fiery red hair.

"Watch where you're going," he snaps, and his eyes land on Cicero, and narrow. "Your Pokemon's weak," he continues on, and you bristle. "I have the better Pokemon."A Chikorita cowers by his heels. Cicero glowers at it, and it shivers.

"Okay then." You say, and try to step around him. He blocks your way. "W-what do you want?"

The boy rolls his eyes. "W-what do you want?" he mimics, and huffs. "What kind of a guy are you? Don't you know that if two Trainers meet, they have to battle?"

"I'll pass. And I'm a girl." You add in a low whisper, and you know that he doesn't hear you.

He smirks. "You have no choice." The boy calls his Chikorita forward, nudging it with his foot. "Chikorita, tackle."

The plant dinosaur let out a chirping battle cry and bashed Cicero with its head. You stand frozen as Cicero falls onto his back. "Cicero, s-scratch?" You command.

The Totodile screeches and slashes at the Chikorita with his claws, and after a few hits, he finishes his opponent off with a jet of water from its open jaws. The boy watches in horror at you grab Cicero from devouring the poor creature, though the Totodile doesn't seem like he's going to. You blink as the boy returns his Pokemon to its Pokeball, snarling at it.

"Weak" he said, though the poor creature had tried its best. He pushed her aside and stormed off. You notice that he dropped his ID, and pick it up. Silver.

"Hey," you call out, stopping the boy a few feet behind you. "You dropped this." And what the hell were you doing? You haven't spoken to anyone other than your parents and the occasional visitor in 5 years, what are you doing, calling out to a person you haven't even met before? Even so, you hold out the ID and the boy nearly runs toward you and snatches the piece of plastic from your hand. He doesn't say thanks, so that figures.

But you've wasted enough time. You need to get to Professor Elm.

* * *

**New Bark Town 9:30PM**

When you burst into the lab, there were police officers swarming the place. You try to get to Professor Elm, but a policeman grabs you by the scruff of your jacket.

"And here I thought that the culprit would return to the scene of the crime," he says triumphantly.

You sputter. Both from the accusation and the contact. "W-what do you mean?"

"Young man, you stole a Pokemon from this lab a while ago, haven't you?" The policeman grabs at Cicero, but snatches his hand back when he snaps at his fingers. "That Pokemon right there, in fact!"

You look pleadingly at the Professor, and he starts to say something, but Ethan, bursting in, interrupts him.

"Wait! Wait wait wait wait wait wait wait!" he yells, skidding a little when he stops. "He's not the thief, the real thief had red hair! I mean really red hair, not that your hair is not nice too." He finished, a bit lamely.

You try not to gape. Red hair? "Cicero battled someone like that on our way here." At the sound of his name, the Totodile gave a low, maddened chuckle in your ear, and a chill runs down your spine. You decide to ignore that bit and shrug.

The police officer's eyes go really wide, and he let's you go to fish out a notepad and a pen. "You did? Did you get the true culprit's name, young man?"

You know what? You're not even going to bother correcting him this time. It wouldn't matter. "His ID had the name 'Silver' on it." You say.

He scribbles a note down and nods at you. "Ah, sorry for the confusion, kiddo. I'll look into this 'Silver' for now." And with that, the policeman walked away.

You turn to Professor Elm and Ethan. "Thanks," you say, because even with the little social interaction you have had, you still believe it's better to be polite than sorry.

Ethan salutes you with a grin, and takes off, his Marill bouncing behind him, while Elm breathes a sigh of relief. "Oh, this is just terrible, Gray," he says, but straightens himself up. "Anyway, what was it that Mr. Pokemon wanted to show me?"

At that, you swing your bag around to fish for the egg. Thankfully, it hadn't broken in all the excitement. Cicero tapped at it with his tail as you pulled it out. Professor Elm eagerly accepts it.

"An egg?" He says as he sets it aside, "Well, I'll run my tests on it, but I don't know what I'll find." Then, he looks at Cicero, who had taken put your Pokedex, and gapes.

"Is that- could it be?"

You pick up the little Totodile, still holding the Pokedex in its forearms, and hand the device over to him. "What is it?"

He runs his hand across the red ridges of the Pokedex and picks out a small, metal clasp to show to you. "This, my dear Gray, is the future!" He exclaims and clips it to your ear without your permission. Static noise filled your hearing and you barely made out his next words. "Professor Oak made this so that it would work with his Pokedex to allow trainers to communicate with their Pokemon. It's still in development, though, so it can only translate the languages of the Pokemon you catch!" He grinned manically. "Isn't it amazing?"

You try to clear your head from all the noise that's assaulting your ears like a screaming Exploud. The static only increases in pitch until it stops after a few more agonizing moments. The sudden silence was unnerving.

_Hehehehe._

You nearly jump out of your skin. Cicero chuckled in your ear again.

_Hehee._

You turn to look at Professor Elm. "What was that?" You breathe.

"That's the PokeTranslator, all the Gym Leaders are prototyping them for Professor Oak" he answers, and shuffles around the lab. "Which also reminds me! You should also think about taking the League challenge."

"What, I don't-"

He shakes a few folders at you. "Your parents want you to. They say that, and I quote, 'if Gray doesn't do the League challenge, then Gray won't be able to come home until it's done.'"

Your shoulders slump a little. You know you haven't any choice now. So, you resignedly take the stupid Pokedex back and accept the cache of Pokeballs Elm gives you. Before you take a step outside, you close your eyes. You have a feeling that you wouldn't be sleeping inside a safe, safe house for a while.

* * *

**End Chapter 1**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

* * *

**Route 29 10:16PM**

You warily look at the HootHoot that had landed on your arm a few moments ago. Oddly enough, Cicero doesn't lash out to kill the poor thing as soon as it did.

"Um," you say intelligently,"Hello there?" The PokeTranslator whirrs a little as you toss a Pokeball to the bird. The capture device beeps when the registration was done, and the HootHoot's voice becomes understandable after a few seconds of synching.

_-Registration Complete-_

_HootHoot recognized. Downloading language and understanding,_

_Loading..._

_Complete._

"Hello, trainer," she whoo-whoo'ed, "I can to join you?"

You swallow down a lump of nervousness. "O-okay, then."

The HootHoot leaned in towards you, and you pull back a little. "Will you give me a name?"

"Um. How-what do you think of-Cogs?"

She fluttered her wings and settled down on your other shoulder. "I like it."

"Great, I guess," you say.

As you walk through the thick grass, the newly named Cogs began to chatter with Cicero, who just chuckled and didn't say anything. The Pokemon has the fluffy light beige down feathers that shows that she's still a fledgeling HootHoot. Her stubby little wings could barely lift her up into the air, but she manages with rapid flip-flaps. She chirps excitedly, often leaning toward you to nibble at your black hair. You don't mind.

**Cogs Lvl. 3**

**Female HootHoot**

**Naughty Nature**

**Highly Curious**

**Route 29**

* * *

**Cherrygrove City 10:45PM**

"This is the first city I've ever been in!" Cogs chirped, hopping on your shoulder. "Are they all this big?"

"Violet City is even bigger," you tell her, "and Goldenrod is the biggest one in Johto."

"Wow! Are we going to go there? Can we go there?"

"Maybe."

Cogs chirrups and rattles her wings, nearly knocking Cicero's tail off. He hissed at her._ Irritation. Knock off. Wanna bite._

You reach over and stroke Cicero's smooth head. "Play nice, you two. I'd like to keep both of my shoulders."

Cicero snaps at your fingers, but quiets down. He grumbles gibberish under his breath, and neither you nor Cogs could make heads or tails of it.

Now that you think about it, every trainer that had passed through Violet City had a full team of Pokemon. "Should we try for another team member?" You ask.

"A new friend? Yes!" Cogs pipes.

Cicero grumbles, but nudges you forward. _One each new place only_, he projects to you, _No more than that._

Well, majority rules. You head to the next route.

* * *

**Route 30 11:15PM**

How do you get into these situations? You quickly move away from the multitudes of Trainers lined along the path. Ducking behind a tree, you try to calm yourself. Cicero looks as if he wants to jump out and maul every single one of those Youngsters, and Cogs tells you she wants to take a closer look.

"I don't think we're strong enough," you admit, and, catching the indignant glare Cicero gives you, amend yourself. "And by 'we', I mean myself. I don't think I can do this."

A sharp pain pierces your ear and the PokeTranslator hummed as it synced with something you couldn't see.

_-Registration complete-_

_Spinarak recognized. Downloading language and understanding_

_Loading..._

_Complete._

"I think you can."

You snap your head around. "Cogs?" You say, dearly hoping that the new voice belongs to her.

"Nope," the voice giggles, "Look down, silly."

Down at your feet, you find that you had dropped a Pokeball in your panic. A Spinarak was on top of the device, and you slowly pick it, and the Pokeball, up. You take in the smiley face on its back, stark against her lime green body.

"I'm Anansi." she said, her black pincers rubbing together. "You dropped that ball on me."

"I'm sorry."

Anansi giggles again, and Cogs jumps down to your wrist to peer at her.

"I've haven't seen a lot of Spinarak in my Route," Cogs tells her.

Anansi scurries from the Pokeball to Cog's head. She looks looks at the HootHoot upside down. "I haven't seen many HootHoot around here as well."

Cicero chuckles his manic laugh, and doesn't knock Anansi off of her proud perch on Cogs. You count that as a sign of acceptance.

**Anansi Lvl. 2**

**Female Spinarak**

**Gentle Nature**

**Somewhat Stubborn**

**Route 30**

"Shall we? I wish to help you," Anansi hummed, and Cogs chirped her assent.

You sigh, and look back to the lines of Trainers waiting to maul you with their vicious Pokemon.

"Are you sure?" You try in a last attempt.

"YES," was the collective assent, with Anansi being the loudest. Cicero let out an eager yap.

Majority rules. You do not dare argue against your new friends.

Friends. What an odd thought. You had friends.

You can't stop your mouth from twisting up into a beatific smile.

Cicero lets out a low chuckle in your ear, and you slowly stand up to face the Trainers.

"My Top Percentage Rattata will easily defeat you!"

"Cicero, have fun."

* * *

**Route 31 12:02AM**

You're dead tired, but your Pokemon don't seem to be affected by the night, except for Cicero, fast asleep on your shoulder. You suppose it's because he'd been through a lot for one day. He is only a baby Totodile, after all.

Anansi had cemented her position on your team by methodically tag-teaming with Cogs to defeat a good amount of Trainers. Cicero was a force unto himself. He had terrorized nearly all of the Trainers that Cogs and Anansi hadn't fought.

"Violet City's up ahead," you tell Cogs and Anansi."I lived there before today."

Cogs cocked her head. "You don't sound happy, Gray."

"I didn't have the greatest childhood there, you know?" You sigh, resting a bit while leaning against the outside wall of a cave. "I actually locked myself in my room for a few years."

"Why?"

"I don't really remember. I think it's because my Dad, he's a trainer in the Gym, came home one day after he was mugged or something. I was scared, so I hid." You return Cicero to his Pokeball.

"Stupid reason, I know, but I was safe there. And my parents contacted Elm, and, well, the rest is history."

Anansi scurries up your shoulder, taking Cicero's place. She rubs her pincers together for a moment. Then, "Were you ever happy, dearie?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, when I had my children, they were always at their happiest when they were exploring or just being outside instead of inside our tree," Anansi says. "I was wondering whether or not humans were the same."

"Oh," You say. "I...I've never really though about it before."

There's an ever so slight pause before Anansi answers, with a note of what sounds like gentle admonishment to you. "Of course you did, Gray."

You don't answer, and conversation lapses into an uncomfortable silence for a while before Cogs turns to the Spinarak.

"What happened to your Clutch?" She asks.

Anansi hums. "They left the hollow, made their own families." Her pincers twists up into something like a smile. "Some even found themselves Trainers. I never saw them again, but they were happy."

Cogs's answer is cut off by a cacophony of screeches and screams from inside the cave. Despite your protests, Cogs insists on going and investigating.

* * *

**Dark Cave 12:34PM**

You can't see more than a few feet in front of you, and your flashlight could barely fend off the crushing sense of stone and darkness all around you. Cogs flew ahead, keen eyes easily penetrating the dark.

"Over there!" She caws, motioning to a throng of Zubats viciously fighting with each other. Cogs let out a screech, and all at once, they fled, melding into the cave.

There's one little Zubat, however, that couldn't take off, who flutters its paper thin wings; its mouth wide open to desperately take in its surroundings. You cautiously approach it, remembering that one time in Violet City when a boy had to be taken to a Pokemon Center because he got bit by a rabid Zubat. Cogs lands beside the Zubat, making some hoots and cooing noises, but the creature doesn't move from its spot.

"Use a Pokeball," Anansi whispers into your ear. "He's scared, and things would be easier if we all understood each other."

So, with a little clever maneuvering, you inch over to the small creature and gently tap it with an unregistered Pokeball.

_-Registration complete-_

_Zubat recognized. Downloading language and understanding._

_Loading,,,_

_Complete._

You wince a little when the Translator whirrs and further embeds itself into your ear. But the Zubat's high pitched cries become understandable.

"Who are you? Go away!"

Cogs hops up to it. "Hello! I'm Cogs. Who're you?"

The Zubat hisses. "Go away!"

But Cogs isn't deterred. She hops a bit closer and nudges it. "You're hurt," she states, "You should let Gray have a look at it."

The Zubat stops struggling, it's ears turning toward you. "A Trainer?" It asks, then pitifully flops over to your feet. You crouch down and bring your hand near so that it could sniff you. Eventually, it lets you stroke it's small head, fingers running through short blue fuzz. "I'm Bruce." It says without preamble. "Please, take me with you. I want to be stronger."

Anansi scurries down your arm and cocks her head. "Any reason why, dear?"

There was a small pause, and Bruce sighs. "I want vengeance against the Zubat that killed my parents. I can't do that without a Trainer to make me stronger." He tries to flap his injured wings.

"So, please. Take me with you."

You stop petting the Zubat, and gently pick him up, minding his bent wing. "Don't struggle so much," You warn him. "Your wing's pretty injured. Cogs!" You call out, and Cogs flutters back to your shoulder.

Cogs leans in closer to Bruce, who shrinks back. "Welcome to the team, Bruce!"

**Bruce Lvl. 2**

**Male Zubat**

**Gentle Nature**

**Often lost in thought**

**Dark Cave**

* * *

**Violet City Pokemon Center 1:03PM**

You drop down onto the cot in your rental room, sighing. You had taken Bruce to the Nurses and had left him downstairs to heal. He had extracted a promise from you to pick him up first thing in the morning. When you first came into the room, you had let Cicero, still sleeping, out of his Pokeball and onto the upper bunk, where he still lay, sprawled on his belly.

"Why not go to your home, Gray?" Anansi asks, pulling a light blanket over your legs.

You chuckle bitterly. "My parents won't let me back in. They're 'kicking me out of the nest,' so they say. But this is good enough." You toss your cap onto the nightstand, barely missing the sleeping Cogs.

"Are you okay, Gray?"

You put her on the nightstand, where Cogs was perched. "Good night, Anansi."

Turning over in the bed, you try to ignore her small, disappointed sigh.

* * *

**Violet City 10:45AM**

When you picked up Bruce from the Nurses, his wing was all better, and though it was morning, he insisted on following you out of his Pokeball. At first, Cicero seemed completely bemused by the new member of the team. But, after sniffing him and nudging him a few times, Cicero licked the Zubat and returned to his spot on your shoulders.

Now, you're standing by a pool of clear water that reflects Sprout Tower. You remember stepping in there once, to be introduced to the monks there, and never came back.

Cicero giggles, and leaps off your shoulder. He hisses and nips at your feet, driving you towards the Route you'd just came through last night. "You want to go back?"

He hisses at you.

"He wants to train!" Bruce says, hanging off of the back of your jacket. "Let's go already!"

You catch sight of a batch of Trainers from the Pokemon School rushing toward that route, obviously eager to pit their Pokemon against each other. You sigh and pull down the brim of your hat.

* * *

**Route 31 11:27AM**

"Hey, Gray, finally coming out of your room?" The older Trainers who stayed to mentor the younger kids waved at her. The littler kids pointed and ran away screaming in laughter.

You grit your teeth, and keep moving through the tall grass. Cicero bared his teeth at them, which probably did not help your reputation at all. "Cogs, come back here," you call out to the bird. She stops dive-bombing unfortunate Bug Pokemon and Bellsprouts and flutters toward you.

"Training is fun!" She chirps happily, but Bruce harrumphs.

"Training is serious," He says, "You're supposed to be paying attention to what you do during battle."

Cogs flapped a wing at him. "Bah, mood-killer."

Anansi clicks her pincers together. "Calm down, you two. We should catch up to Cicero."

Indeed, the Totodile had been chasing Ratattas in the banks of the small pond. He's half submerged in the muddy water, and is patiently waiting for another victim to come by. The effect is slightly diminished by the low chuckles coming from his throat.

When you try to fish Cicero out of the muddy banks, he hisses and snaps at you, so you leave him to his games.

"'I can take this one!" Cogs screeches as she barrels into a large Ratatta. It lets out a little squeal, and lunges back at her, catching her wing in its teeth.

Anansi calls out to her. "Watch out!"

You turn from watching Bruce test out his healed wing. The Ratatta is giving Cogs a severe beating, and Cicero hisses at it but doesn't move from his place in the water. You fumble for the HootHoot's Pokeball, but you drop it in your panic.

"Anansi!" Cogs cries out, and when you look back up, you feel as if you had been doused in ice water.

The Spinarak had lunged for the Ratatta and had been crushed in the struggle, but had also taken down the rodent. She weakly crawls over to you, and you pull her into your arms.

"I-," she starts to say, but stops.

She dies a moment later, but it takes you forever to move.

You feel like staying in your room for a while.

**Anansi RIP**

**Lvl. 2- 12**

**Route 31**

* * *

**End**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

* * *

**Violet City Pokemon Center 5:35PM**

For all of the next day, you don't come out of your rented room except for the necessities. You spend your time counting the tiles on the wall and mulling over that disastrous scene in your mind. Eventually, Cogs lands on your arm the next time you come out to eat, her weight anchoring you to the ground.

"_You can't stay in your room forever, Gray,"_ Cogs says.** "**_Anansi wouldn't want that for you. She'd want you to move on._"

You wince. Anansi had been buried just outside Violet City under the boughs of a few trees. She would have liked that, you'd like to think. But you're not so sure she'd approve of your way of coping.

_If only you were a better Trainer, if only you had gotten there faster, if you had paid more attention if if if if-_

"I don't know what to do." You say. "But I know that I should probably get out of this room."

Bruce whaps you with his leathery wing. "_You move on! We all knew the risks getting involved with battling,"_ He screeches. "_Even Cicero agrees, right Cicero?"_

Cicero mumbles a quiet assent from around your shoulders, scaly dry skin pressing against the exposed skin of your neck. He's been quiet ever since you buried Anansi. No chuckles, no laughter. No noise.

It relieves you a bit to hear something from him, even if it's nonsense.

"I-"

Cicero nips your ear, and grumbles a bit. _Move on. Tired of this place._ He stares at you balefully.

You close your eyes, and turn back to your room. You take in bare tiles, linoleum floors, and a barely-comfortable cot. It's not your room, but it's going to be the closest thing you have to it nowadays.

_"Where are you going_?" Bruce says, hanging off of your arm.

Sighing, you unhook his wings from your arm and hook them onto the back of your black and red jacket. "I'm going to get my bag, and then we'll go to another route to train, okay? But you all have to _be careful,_ okay? Okay."

Cogs chirps and flutters off your arm. Her fledgeling feathers are being slowly replaced by the long brown adult feathers that's characteristic of her kind. It's odd, seeing the Pokemon that was just out of the nest growing into an adult so quickly, but Cogs doesn't comment on it. "_Let's go, then._"

You clear out your room, stuffing everything in your backpack. Flashlight, blankets, extra clothing, wallet, and packets of food and water. The last ones perk your Pokemon's interest more than the other necessities. You don't want to come back here after you go out again. For one, you know you won't leave for a while, and secondly, you don't want to prove all the rumors right. You're not afraid, you tell yourself. It barely assuages your anxiety.

* * *

**Route 32 5:45PM**

On Route 32, surrounded by stocky trees, Cogs chases the occasional Ratatta around with an enthusiastic playfulness that had been dimmed ever since Anansi died.

You watch her with a bit of wistfulness. A long time ago, your father had told you about the joy of seeing bird Pokemon in flight. The beauty of their freedom. Their easy gracefulness. He had quite a few bird Pokemon himself, since he belonged to the Violet City Gym. Fearows, Pidgeots, even a Honchkrow that had been your favorite nanny. You didn't see him much after his 'accident,' as he calls it. He's been traveling around the different regions, doing some field research on different bird Pokemon for Falkner.

"Cogs, try to startle them first by swooping on them from the top," you say, recalling some of your father's training sessions. "That's one of Falkner's favorite opening moves."

Bruce rams himself into a Mareep. "_Who's Falkner_?"

"Falkner's the Violet City Gym Leader. He specializes in Flying types," you say. "He-"

A light pink...thing with leaves sticking out of it's head bounced into your face. You grab it instinctively, and it squeaks and paws at your face with stubby little arms. Your hat lands on Cicero, who chirps in silent laughter.

He nudges a Pokeball at you. _You know what to do_, he seems to say, glowing eyes peeking out from under your red hat.

_-Registration complete-_

_Hoppip recognized. Downloading language and understanding_

_Loading..._

_Complete_

"_Hello! You caught me!" _The Hoppip says, wriggling into your arms. "_I'm Mistral, the one-who-rides-on-the-winds!_" She looks at you with beady yellow eyes. "_Hi!_"

"_Hi!"_ Cogs chirps back.

Bruce groans, burying his snout into your back. "_Another one, great just my luck._"

Cicero chuckles, and you can't help but smile.

Mistral sees your eyes, however, and asks, "_Why are you sad?_"

"I'm not." You say.

The Hoppip latches onto your hair and tangles itself in it. "_Liar, liar,_" she singsongs, but not serious or upset. "_I'll find out eventually._"

You blow away Mistral's leaf that had covered your eyes. "I'm sure you will," you say, and call out for Cogs. You have an idea.

The HootHoot flits around your head. "_Shall we go train more?_" She asks.

You nod, determined. "Yes, and I know the perfect place."

**Mistral Lvl. 6**

**Female Hoppip**

**Quiet Nature**

**Often scatters things**

**Route 32**

* * *

**Sprout Tower 6:53PM**

Sprout Tower had been a fixture in your life ever since you were small. You remember watching the kindly monks who trained Bellsprouts outside during the day, their katas reflected in the pools of water around them. The tower's creaking is somewhat comforting, like how a well-lived in house creaks once in a while. Cogs sticks close to you, eyes straining to pierce the dimly lit tower, but Bruce seemingly is at home here, in the gloomy darkness.

"_It's kind of creepy here,_" Cogs says, snuggling close to Mistral.

"_Well,_" Mistral says, "_This reminds me of this one time I was blown out to the sea. It was very dark._"

Bruce energetically swoops down to fly next to you. "_I like it here._"

"_Of course you do,_" Cogs says. "_You're a Zubat._"

"Well, be careful," you say, "I remember there being some ghosts around here."

Cicero chuckles, eyes glowing bright yellow. _Not afraid._ He boasts, strutting next to you. But he jumps on onto your leg the moment your flashlight is yanked out of your hand by a Ghastly. _Not afraid_, he repeats, hiding behind you. _See?_

The now-floating flashlight flicks on and off, as if the Ghastly possessing it is laughing at them. It circles around you and stops to shine its light onto Cogs, who jumps off of your shoulder and collides with Bruce.

"Hello?" You say, feeling a bit crazy for talking to your flashlight. "Would you like to come with us-_Ow_!" Cicero had bit you on your ankle.

He glares at you. _Don't wanna. _He complains. _Scares others. Not me. _Cicero adds, still behind your leg.

You tap him on his the top of his head, then scratch the soft skin under his chin in apology. "Don't be a brat, Cic. It won't bite."

The Totodile lets out a small warble, and nuzzles your leg. _Fine_. He flicks his tail at the floating flashlight. _Still not scared_.

"Of course you aren't."

_-Registration complete-_

_Ghastly recognized. Downloading language and understanding._

_Loading..._

_Complete_

The flashlight flicks on and off rapidly, seemingly pleased. Two eyes floats in the ring of light shining from the device. The gaseous creature slowly lowers the flashlight back into your hands, and materializes in front of you. It hums and rolls in the air before turning into the shape of a Mareep.

"_You were a Mareep before you died?" _Mistral says, riding on the small breeze Cogs is whipping up. She floats up to it. "_That's why you like that light thing, right?_"

The Ghastly hums again and returns to possess the flashlight in your hand. "..._Yes," _it says in a hollow, ringing voice. "_I was called Tesla._"

"Nice to meet you, Tesla," you say, picking up Cicero, who clings to you tightly. "Would you like to help us?"

"_I'd like that,_" Tesla says, and floats upward to shine the flashlight farther ahead of you. "_I can do my duty again._"

**Tesla Lvl. 4**

**Male Ghastly**

**Naive Nature**

**Good Endurance**

**Sprout Tower**

You thank him-you think you can hear a low timbre in Tesla's layered voice-and start walking again. Cogs and Bruce return from their squabble with a few more bruises and some scratches, but not severely injured.

"_Who were you talking to, back there?_" Cogs asks after a while. "_Back when we met Tesla, you were talking to someone. Who?"_

You're walking with your hands in your pants pockets, since Tesla's taking care of the visibility issue. "Cicero," you reply. "I was responding to Cicero." Your Totodile looks back at you from his position in front of the group in an attempt to outdo Tesla. He giggles again, and snaps at Tesla's flashlight.

"_But he can't talk, right?_"

Well, now that you think about it, you haven't heard Cicero actually _talk _since you met him. It's kind of like you just _know _what he's trying to say to you. It's most likely his body language and the expressions he uses. "I guess-yeah. He hasn't spoken."

"_I guess it's just your friendship, then,_" Bruce says snidely.

"It's more like he _can't _speak," you sigh, "I've seen him try to speak, but all that comes out are these noises I can't make heads or tails of." Cicero drops back to nuzzle your legs and climb onto your shoulders again. He rests his head on your head, still wearing your hat, and his tail thumps against your spine.

Mistral floats along the wind trails left by Cogs's and Tesla's flight. "_Why are we here, again?_"

"Sprout Tower is the main training ground before Violet Gym. There's a couple of monks here who battle rookies." Tesla hums and shines his light onto a flight of stairs. "Up we go, I guess."

You climb the spiraling stairs, going up and up and up. The Tower is woefully dark, and the only thing you can see is the ring of light in front of you, courtesy of Tesla. And, oh Arceus, you're out of shape, you can't take one more step. "Ah-" you huff, "Maybe this was a bad idea." Cicero jumps down in front of you, and gently takes your hand in his jaws. He carefully holds it without slicing the limb off with his knife teeth. He tugs you forward as Tesla baps you with the rim of the flashlight. "Then again, maybe not."

When you finally reach the top of the tower, after a couple of breaks, you gasp and stagger to the supposed "Bellsprout" pillar in the middle of the room. It's a bit rough, and splinters dig into your jacket, but you're too busy trying to remember how to breathe.

"You should treat your Pokemon with more love and respect, young man," an old, wizened monk says to a familiar face. Silver. Tesla's light shows his recognizable scarlet hair and scowl.

"Your _weak_ Pokemon speak for you," Silver spits, venom dripping from every word. "I don't have time nor the inclination to be _nice_ and coddle my Pokemon. They just need to be strong." He turns on his heel and spots you, panting against the center pillar. "And _you,_" he says, "You're the weakest of them all, so I'm not going to bother battling you."

Silver pushes you aside, and, aiming a kick at Mistral, who squeaks and clambers behind Cogs, disappears down the staircase. You call for Tesla, who warily hovers next to you, and approach the monk.

"Hello, Elder Li," you say, bowing slightly. "Are...you alright?"

He smiles at Tesla, and says, "There are many kinds of Trainers in the world:some good and some bad. I test those who wish to try the bond between Trainer and Pokemon. Come, Gray, was it? I remember you, young man. Your parents had asked me to talk to you after you secluded yourself."

You shift from foot to foot. "Um, yes. That was me. But I'm a gi-" Cicero takes a running leap into your arms, nearly knocking you over, and Cogs lands on your shoulder. "Erm, I want to battle, Elder."

He smiles genially, and picks two Pokeballs from his sleeve. "The battle will be two-on-two, please."

"_I want to battle!_" Cogs says happily, chirping in your ear.

Bruce flutters down from the rafters. "_I would like to battle as well_."

You nod. "Cogs, Bruce, you're up."

Elder Li sent out a Bellsprout and another HootHoot. The Bellsprout sways with the pillar, a pretty frail looking plant with elegantly curved leaves. Bruce swoops down, wings flared and mouth open in a battle cry. Cogs, meanwhile, is engaging the HootHoot, whose features are more refined and calculated than Cogs's inexperience.

"Bellsprout, use Vine whip, HootHoot, use peck!" The monk calls out, voice ringing out in the nearly empty floor.

The Bellsprout lashes out at Bruce with thin, ropy vines pulled from the floor. They catch his small feet and reels him in. "_Try harder, Zubat_."

Bruce twists around and bites at the Bellsprout's snout when he comes close. It lets out a small cry and releases him posthaste.

"Bruce, Cogs, just like we practiced," you say to them. "Use Leech Life and Uproar."

Cogs ducks around the older HootHoot's talons and lands on a piece of the rafters that's sticking out. She lets out a loud cry that made the Bellsprout wince and falter. This gave Bruce the opportunity to batter the plant until it sagged to the ground in defeat. The HootHoot, however, endured the cacophony, and again lunged at Cogs. "_Sit still so I can get you!_" the HootHoot screeches.

"_Can't catch me!_" She calls out and flits off her perch. Cogs maneuvers around the HootHoot and lets out another loud, shrill cry. The other bird drops like a stone, knocked out by the shock.

Elder Li smiles at you and calls back his Pokemon. Cogs lands on your shoulder, breathing hard, but uninjured. Bruce circles around you and eventually lands on Cicero's head. "Your Pokemon like you, I see," he says. "Their prowess in battle proves that."

"It's all on them, I swear," you reply. "I don't really know or want to battle."

"I'm sure you do, young man," he says. The Elder hands you a FLASH TM disk and wishes you good luck on your journey. You respectfully exchange bows with him before turning back toward the stairs. Cicero chuckles and whaps your back with his tail.

"You know, Cicero, if you were bigger, _you_ could give me a ride instead of the other way around," you groan, but the little reptile just clung to you a bit tighter.

"_It's good exercise!_" Mistral sings, floating down the spiral stairs.

Just as you start the long journey down, you realize something: you could understand what the HootHoot and Bellsprout were saying. You never registered them in your PokeTranslator, hadn't you?

* * *

**Violet City Gym 8:45PM**

After a quick rest stop at the PokeCenter, you find yourself staring up at the platforms high above you. The lift looks kind of old, and you really, _really_ like your bones where they are. Cicero yawns and gnaws at your head a bit, so you pluck him off and set him onto the ground with a squawk. He clings to your leg when you step onto the lift and make it go upward.

The barely furnished lower level of the gym always seems a bit unseemly compared to the magnificent aviary that makes up the upper level. Glass walkways connecting wooden platforms gives the illusion that you're walking on air, and you shove away the feeling of vertigo you always get up here. Cicero flat-out refuses to leave the lift until you scoop him up into your arms and _carry_ him across, while the rest of your growing team levitates, floats, or flies alongside you.

Cogs oohs and aaas over the wooden platforms containing wooden carvings and sculptures to reproduce the treetops in which most bird Pokemon were familiar with. Bruce follows her in exasperation, but he himself cannot hide the note of awe when he hears the chattering of dozens of Spearows and Pidgeys coming from above. When you all come to the platform right in front of the lift, everyone falls silent, except for Bruce, who's demanding why everyone's so quiet all of a sudden. You can understand that. After all, it _does _give the best view of the mosaic picturing the legendary Pokemon Ho-Oh and Lugia in flight. Even though night had fallen hours ago, the gym _always_ keeps a light shining through it. You remember when that one storm when the whole city's power was knocked out and Falkner's father had bent his pride a bit to use the herds of Mareep nearby to power the gym to light the window.

Speaking of Mareep, you call Tesla, who's not possessing your flashlight for once, to you and relate the story to him in a hushed tone. He seems amused by the retelling, as he gives you this melancholy grin and circles around you. Cicero gives him an "I'm-not-fooled-by-you" look from your arms, but is too busy snuggling into your chest to snap at the Ghastly.

"Gray? Gray Grayson?"

You nearly topple over the edge of the platform. "Abe?" You say, barely recognizing the voice from Trainer School.

The Bird Keeper's freckled face breaks out into this wide wide grin. "It _is_ you, Gray. You've finally come out?"

You nod, and Cogs flutters back to you. "_Who's that?_" She asks.

"I've known him from Trainer School a few years ago," you say to her in a low voice, then, louder, "You're a Bird Keeper, now, Abe?"

He grins, and the Pidgey that's perched on his shoulder puffs its chest out proudly. "And you're here to challenge Falkner, I see," he laughs. "I'm the Trainer you have to beat to get to him, then."

Cicero chatters and jumps out of your arms, grinning toothily. You sigh, and nod. "Your turn, Cicero."

The Pidgey chirps and launches itself at him, but Cicero snaps at its wings, making it falter. He spat out a stream of water at it, barely hitting it. The Pidgey squawks indignantly, and hops back.

"Pidgey, buddy, use sand-attack!" Abe calls to it, and the bird complies, clawing sand into Cicero's eyes.

But the Totodile just wipes his face in a puddle of water and grabs the Pidgey's wing and hits it with a head-on water gun. It drops unconscious immediately.

Abe lets out a drawn-out whistle at the spectacle and recalls his Pidgey into its Pokeball. "Enthusiastic little bugger, isn't he?" He nods at Cicero, who's waddling back to you with a demanding look in his eyes. "Good luck with Falkner, Gray."

"Thanks, Abe," You say. Then, after hesitating a bit, you add, "It was good...seeing you again, I suppose."

He grins and waves you away, too busy tending to his Pidgey.

"_Show off,_" Bruce mutters under his breath, wings brushing your ear.

Mistral twirls close to him and soothes his mutterings with an odd, nonsense song.

"Where's Cogs?" You ask her.

"_She went up ahead,_" the Hoppip says, and returns to her Pokeball. You quicken your pace a bit.

The main platform is the largest of the whole second floor, you remember. And it does look the same as it did when it was five years ago when Falkner's father was Gym Leader. The gym arena was covered with sand, to maximize the effectiveness of the Bird Pokemons' sand attack, and there were branches hanging around it, extending from the perches off to the side of the arena. Cogs chirps at you from the wooden rafters above, and flutters down to your arm.

"_Is this the place, Gray?_" She asks, nearly vibrating with excitement.

"Yes, it is."

A rustling of feathers and cloth announces the arrival of Falkner, who comes up from behind a cloth draped cage. He brightens up when he sees you, and shakes a few bird seeds out of his blue tinted hair.

"I was wondering when you'd come challenge me," he says. "It's been a while, Gray."

You roll your eyes. "Everyone's been saying that, actually."

"Your father's not here nor in your home in the gym." Falkner lets out a low whistle, and a large Pidgeotto, a little shorter than you, swoops down, followed by a smaller Pidgey. "Are you sure you can do this?"

You grit your teeth. Suddenly you're very frustrated at all the doubt you've been getting. You're not helpless, nor are you spineless. "Bring it on, Falkner," you say. "Bruce, you go first."

"_Finally,_" the Zubat hisses, and enters the Gym ring.

Falkner's Pidgey twitters and takes the other side of the ring. "_Bring it on, Zubat,"_ it boasts, puffing its chest out. "_I've been trained by the best._"

You blink. It's happening again.

"Pidgey," Falkner calls out, "Use Tackle, quickly."

"_Oh, that old hat,_" Bruce scoffs, and braces himself against a perch to take the blow. "_I've had worse._"

"Don't be prideful, Bruce," you say, and Cicero chatters in amusement. "Use Bite."

After the Pidgey hits Bruce, he twists around, and pins the bird to the perch. He lashes out with his needle teeth and bites into its back. "_Bring it on, Pidgey. I've been trained for the worst,"_ He sneers as his opponent goes limp in defeat.

"Pidgey, fall back," Falkner says, holding his hand out. "You did a good job."

Bruce lets it go limping back to the Gym Leader, and flies back to you. "_May I continue fighting?"_

"No, Bruce, you're hurt," you say, poking at a bleeding scratch from his chest to his wing. "Let Cogs take over from here. You did very well."

He sighs, and lands on your shoulder, keeping off of his bleeding side. "_Don't screw up, you,_" he says to Cogs as she flys into the ring.

"_I'll try not to out do you_," she retorts. "_Seeing at how you oh so fabulously won the last bit._"

"Stop bickering, you two." You roll your eyes, and Tesla lets out a trill of amusement, making Cicero jump terribly. "Bruce, rest a bit. Cogs, _focus_, please."

Falkner looks bemused, and calls down his Pidgeotto. "Gray, are you ready for Round Two?"

"Yes," you say.

The Pidgeotto immediately swoops down, talons extended, to Cogs. But she's ready, and flits out from underneath it. "_Good move, fledgeling,"_ The evolved Pokemon says in a deep voice. It uses its larger wingspan to block Cogs, who lets out an intimidated squeak. "_But escape is not an option._"

"Drop down, Cogs."

Quickly shaking off her fright, she closes her wings, and drops down out of the Pidgeotto's grasp. She opens her wings again once she's out of range, and flies up to drop down onto the bigger bird.

"Roost," Falkner orders, and the Pokemon flies up to the rafters, dodging Cogs's attack.

"_That won't help you!"_ Bruce calls out to it. "_Get it, you!"_

Cogs huffs. "_Why don't I come and get you next, you annoying scrap of-"_

"Cogs! Focus, please," you say. "Use Hypnosis-and _you_ are supposed to be resting." You add to the Zubat on your shoulder.

Cicero hangs off of your arms and chatters encouragingly at Cogs as she flies up to meet the Pidgeotto at eye-level. "_What, you going to peck me to death?"_ He asks her.

Cogs's eyes glows a phosphorescent pink, and she hums a few notes in response, swaying from side to side. "_Something like that!_" She cheerily replies, "_But why don't you take a nap, first?_"

From across the Gym ring, you see Falkner's eyes widen. "Pidgeotto, don't fall for it!" He shouts, but by then the Pidgeotto is deeply asleep.

"Good job, Cogs!" You say, smiling up at her, "Now, just as we practiced."

She nods. "_Right._"

Tesla, who had been quietly observing the spectacle by Bruce, slowly floats up to Cicero, who starts to flail about in your arms. You put him down.

"Use Tackle, then Uproar!"

Your HootHoot backs up, then speeds toward her sleeping enemy, bashing him on the back and tipping him over the edge of the rafter. By the time he's startled awake, Cogs had positioned herself right behind him and is using her weight to prevent him from stopping his fall. She lets out an earsplitting cry, and the Pidgeotto slams into the sandy pit. Hard.

Cogs breathes heavily for a few moments, taking in the groaning Pidgeotto, and turns to you. "_Did-did I-did I win?_" She asks, a bit bemused, "_It actually worked?_"

Cicero jumps into the ring, and nuzzles her feathery head, licking a stray feather down. You make your way into the ring as well. Following Falkner's lead, you go to check up on Cogs, who's preening modestly.

"_I've seen better,_" Bruce grumbles over the enthusiastic congratulations of the rest of the team.

Cogs takes a page out of Cicero's book and chuckles. "_You can't see at all, Bruce."_

_"I'm aware of that I-" _Bruce sighs, then climbs down to her. "_Never mind. You did good, Cogs."_

Tesla presses against you to alert you to Falkner's approach.

"You did a good job, Gray," he says, only a bit gloomily. "You deserve this Zephyr Badge." He tosses you a shining silver badge. "Father would have won this easily." Falkner sighs and kneels down to tend to the unconscious Pidgeotto. "But I'm not going to give up trying to be like him."

You nod. "Good luck, Falkner."

"You'll be staying at the PokeCenter?"

Shrugging, you recall Bruce and Cogs into their Pokeballs to give them a chance to rest. "I'm going home for the night. My dad's in Goldenrod for the month, so I'll be okay."

Falkner stiffens. "Are...you going to be okay with leaving in the morning?"

Cicero chatters and crawls up your leg into your arms. "Cicero'll bite my head off if I don't, so I think I'll be okay."

* * *

**Violet City - Grayson Household 10:35PM**

The house is as empty as you remember it. Dark wooden floors that creak when you step _here_, and _this_ particular patch is a bit slippery so be careful. It's so familiar it kind of hurts you to see it so deserted.

You let Bruce and Cogs back out of their Pokeballs, all healed up after a quick post-gym PokeCenter visit, and let Mistral out as well. They flitted about the house, with Tesla slowly following them, possessing your Flashlight.

Cicero sticks by you, however, as you step around into the kitchen. A late meal would probably be a good treat to your Pokemon, you're thinking, but there's this nagging feeling that Cicero is watching you with his piercing stare.

He is.

_Gray?_

You shake your head, picking him up and putting him on the kitchen counter. "I'm fine. Seriously, Cicero."

He scoffs. _Liar._

"Really, it's just that this reminds me of when Mom left Dad. The emptiness and all." You smile at the Totodile, and take a few cans of fruit from the pantry.

_Gray._ Cicero hums and nuzzles your hand, taking a finger into his jaws and nibbling them. _Gray._

"I'm fine, I promise. We'll leave first thing in the morning."

_Gray._

* * *

**End**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

* * *

**Violet City - Grayson Household 6:24AM**

You are awakened by a persistent knocking on the door that's apparently driving Cogs mad.

Shushing her indignant caws, you throw on your father's big coat and make your way to the door.  
"What?" You say, half-yawning, at a scientist outside. "Aren't you Professor Elm's aides?"

He looks a bit out of breath, sweat beading from his temple to down his jaw. He's also holding out an egg at you. The egg that you had delivered to Professor Elm a few days ago, you recall. "Yes, I am," He gasps out. "I-well, Professor Elm wanted me to deliver this to you. Said you'd take care of it."

"I...did?"

The aide blinks. "He told me he called you last night."

Frowning, you open up your PokeGear to check on the log for last night. You're pretty sure the Professor didn't-oh, wait. Apparently he did. Professor Elm, the screen read, 11:45PM.

"Oh," you say intelligently. "Okay." The aide, still looking quite confused, hands you the egg and bids you farewell. You watch him disappear around the path before going back inside.

The egg is warm and thrumming with energy and life beneath your fingers. The odd red and blue patterns on its shell are indented when you run your fingers over them, and the smooth shell feels a bit like thin metal. You migrate back to your room, where the whole team kind of crashed last night. Cogs chirps quietly in amusement as you gingerly pick your way around the mess.

"What is it, Gray?"

Flopping back onto your futon, you push the egg aside, taking care to place it away from Cicero's twitching tail. "Only an egg, Cogs," you yawn. "Did you sleep at all?"

Cogs twitters, and flutters over to your hand. "Only a little. I don't sleep well."

You roll over and begin stroking the HootHoot's soft feathers. "Well, try to get some sleep. We'll be leaving in an hour or two. I'm going to go through some errands."

"But I'm not-" Cogs yawned, and huddled in closer to the egg. "Sleepy."

"Sure you aren't." You pat her head. "Sleep a little, okay? Okay."

As you make your way out of your room, a sudden chill announces Tesla's presence. The ghost floats around you for a moment or two before pushing himself into your hat that's lying on the kitchen counter.

"Would you like to join me, Tesla?" You ask, picking it up.

There's a small hum coming from the hat. "...Yes, please."

* * *

**Route 32 6:47AM**

After making a stop at the PokeMart, Tesla had decided to drag you over to Route 32 to train and explore. Soft rays of sunlight peak through the pine boughs over you, and Tesla seems like he's having fun, drifting about to startle a stray Hoppip now and again. He comes over to you, now and again, as if asking if he can stay a bit longer.

"No, no. We can stay longer," You would assure him, every time. "We have a few hours."

The next time Tesla comes toward you, it isn't because he wants to stay. He curls around you, and lowers himself to the ground, looking miserable. The reason becomes clear a moment later: a flock of Mareep is being herded to a grazing field by a couple of Growlithes. Their baas echo over the empty field where you are, and Tesla watches them go.

"Are you okay, Tesla?" The ghost rears back, and floats toward them for a moment. "You know, you can join them, if you want."

Tesla looks at you with sad, weary eyes. "...You don't...want me?"

"I do," you hastily say, "I'd like for you to stay, but if you want to go, I won't stop you."

"I want to stay with you...Gray."

You sigh, and pat the air around the ghost. "You miss your flock?"

Tesla hums, and circles around you. "I wasn't from around here. I was by water, somewhere. I don't remember much."

You nod, and stand up from your seat on a tree stump. "Well, it'll come back to you eventually, I suppose. Shall we head back and surprise the others?" He hums again, and possesses you cap, washing your head in a cold embrace. "I guess that's a yes."

Tesla let's out something that sounds like a mournful laugh at that.

Violet City - Grayson Household 7:30AM

You come home to an indignant Cicero, who chatters at you as if admonishing you for leaving without telling him.

"Sorry, Cicero," You say, scratching the underside of his jaw in apology. "You were asleep."

_Doesn't matter!_

You pull him into your arms and shuffle to the living room. Mistral is telling Cogs a story as she sits on top of the egg. Bruce is warily flying about among the open rafters.

"Welcome back!" Cogs chirps out to you. "I slept a little, then I woke up! Then I woke the others."  
You sigh. "Are you all ready to go?"

There's a chatter of "Yes!" and "Finally" from your team-the latter mostly from Bruce. You fiddle with the rim of your cap, feeling Tesla hum in response. Your keys are lying in a fruit bowl on the dining room table, and you snatch it up.

Shrugging on your backpack, you carry the egg in the crook of your arm and your keys in the other.

When you step out the door, there's another visitor standing in the garden. She's dressed in very traditional clothing-a kimono, you think-and is wearing heavy makeup that makes her look unearthly. Like a spirit descended onto this world.

"Hello?" You try, closing the door behind you and locking it. "Do you need anything?"

Cicero shivers against your neck, and he lets out this humming murmur into your ear. Bruce crawls into your jacket pocket when the woman turns to you.

"So you are the young man entrusted with this precious item," she says in this lilting singsong voice. "Please keep it safe. It is a sign of things to come."

The woman bows waist-down to you, and turns away, walking down the garden path and disappearing from view.

"What...was that?" Cogs says, turning her head almost 180 degrees.

Bruce pokes his head out and scoffs. "A crazy talking crazy. Did you see how she acted around you, Gray?"

You blink away from the empty garden. "Huh, yeah. It was odd."

Passing the PokeMart on your way to the next route, you stop short, looking at your reflection.

"Gray?" Mistral says, sounding anxious.

You don't answer. You're a bit too busy staring at the clear glass. Your eyes were brown, weren't they?

You catch Cicero looking at you through the mirror. His jaws are twisted into this manic grin.

_See_. He seems to say. _See for yourself._

Yes. You had been born with brown eyes. You always had brown eyes.

But did you see a flash of fiery gold in them?

* * *

**Route 32 8:45AM**

You scrabble back onto the docks, soaking wet. Cicero chuckles gleefully, helping push you back up from the water. Cogs twitters anxiously on your bag, on top of the egg, which is thankfully in one piece.

"Oh, my Arceus." The fisherman that you had been passing reaches out and grasps your hand, pulling you up. "Sorry about that, laddie. Goldeen here has a bit of a bad eye." He pats said Pokemon beside him.

You cough up water, wincing when Cicero uses your dangling leg to pull himself up. "N-no problem," you manage to say, but you start coughing again.

The man-what was his name again? Did he even tell you?- pats your soaking back. "Take it easy, kiddo. You took quite a fall." He tosses you a clean towel from his bag. "Here, dry yourself off."

You mutter a word of thanks and start drying your hair, settling down on the docks. Cogs hops closer to you, hooting.

"I'm fine, Cogs," you say. "Just a little wet."

Mistral floats down to you and twirls her leaves, a makeshift fan that ruffles your clothes. "Being wet will get you a nasty cold, dear," she tuts.

"Thanks, Mis."

The fisherman nods at Cicero, who's pawing at Goldeen behind you. "My name's Ralph, lad. Ralph McDonald."

"Gray Grayson," you reply a bit awkwardly, handing back the towel. "Thanks."

You sit in silence for a bit before Ralph shifts. "You know, Gray," he says, looking at the now-still waters, "It's almost funny-I thought you were a girl at first. But then, I said to myself, 'nah, couldn't be, this is a young, handsome laddie!'"

Running your hand through your close-cropped hair, you don't bother correcting him. "You're married?" You ask, gesturing at the thing wedding band on his hand, and watch as Ralph's tanned face fall.

"Yeah," he sighs. "I don't really spend enough time with my three kids, or m' wife, as I should." Ralph fiddles with his fishing rod. "But it gets too noisy and stifling for me sometimes, you know? Sometimes I just gotta get away and be alone with me and my thoughts and Goldeen here." He gives the fish a hearty slap.

You blink and wring out the hem of your jacket. "I-" You start to say, cough, and continue. "I can relate."

Ralph grins, laugh lines appearing from the edges of his eyes and jaw. "Anyway, I suppose I like fishing more than I like people."

You laugh at that. "Now I can really relate, except without the fishing."

The man nods, and his expression turns thoughtful. "Apparently, my wife is filing for a divorce pretty soon," he says, scratching his chin. "She's going to bring my kids to Unova, and I won't be able to see them anymore." He sighs, and casts his line again. "I want to catch them a good, hardy Johto Pokemon to remember me by, but all I'm able to catch are Magikarp."

"My parents split up a few years ago," you admit, putting your cap back onto your head. "I live with my dad, and my mom took my little brother. He's was only three when it happened, so I'm the only one who actually remembers the time before the split." You whistle to Cicero, who scurries over to you and crawls into your damp arms. "I think I'll be able to help you out. I mean, if I find any Pokemon nearby, I'll send them to you."

Ralph looks at you, and he smiles kindly. "You're a good lad, Gray," he says finally. "Helping out a deadbeat like me." He stands up and holds his hand out to you. "I'd be grateful if you did, though. Thank you, really. Thank you."

You take his hand. "Um. No problem?"

He scribbles a number on a piece of paper that he takes out from his vest. "Here, that's my PokeGear number," he says, pushing it to you. "Please, call me anytime. It'll be good, taking to a bright lad like you." Ralph's eyes become a little moist at this point, and you decide that it's a good time to get going. You're not sure you're prepared for him to burst out bawling.

You sling on your backpack, taking out the egg first, and try not to slip on a muddy part of the docks. Cogs flaps toward you and Bruce screeches from your shoulder. "I'll be in touch," you say.

As you move to leave, the egg in your arms vibrates a little, sending a spread of warmth though you. No, not warmth. Happiness. A happiness that spreads out from the egg in your arms, to the bottoms of your feet. You can't seem to stop smiling.

* * *

**Union Cave 10:23AM**

You shiver against the damp chill that's settling into your bones. You're never going to be dry again, you think, and sneeze when a howling wind moves though the cave.

"Bless you," Mistral says kindly, and settles on your head. "I told you that you'd catch a cold."

Bruce swoops down. "The wind'll dry you up very quickly," He snickers, but keeps away from you so the wind from his flaps wouldn't chill you any more.

Cicero had jumped down from your shoulders when you had started to shiver, and is now paddling about in the cave's pools. He scolds you with his assortment of growls constantly, following alongside you.

"Gray!" Cogs cries out, barreling into you from up front. "Come look!"

You're dragged along as Cogs takes off again, talons hooked onto the straps of your pack. Cicero lets out a startled squawk, and leaps out of the pool to scramble behind you. Cogs drags you to a hollowed out pit, where you see signs of a fight: scratches gouged into the floor, sand kicked up, and even traces of blood. You dig your feet in, escaping Cogs's grip, and slow yourself down.

"Where're you taking me, Cogs?"

"Gray!" Mistral gasps, diverting your attention to a quivering mass on the cavern floor.  
You run over, concern overriding your caution. It's a little Sandshrew, with scratches and open wounds all over it's body. When you turn it over, it lets out a pitiful squeal and tries to wriggle away.

"Go Away!"

"Cicero, can you-?"

But Cicero had already pushed a Pokeball to you, and is now looking at you urgently.

**Geb  
Male Sandshrew  
Naughty Nature  
Very Finicky  
Union Cave  
Holding Quick Claw**

"What happened to you?" You ask him, placing the egg into your pack again and lifting the Sandshrew into your arms.

It weakly flails its tail. "A Trainer let his Pokemon do a little more damage than they should." He says, "He had this awful smell to him, like blood and fish combined."

You start for the exit, and Bruce climbs onto your wrist. "We'll find them," he promises it. "And I'll make them pay."

"Why, Brucie, I never knew you had this side to you," Cogs teases, flying above you with Mistral.

"Shut it, bird-brain."

* * *

**Route 33 11:48AM**

On the other side of Union Cave, you're drenched in ice cold rain that pelts against your jacket. You had bandaged the little Sandshrew's wounds beforehand, but he's still a quivering bundle inside the shelter of your jacket. Cicero runs ahead, cutting through the tall grass and completely unconcerned with the icy rain. The rest of your team, excluding Tesla, had retreated into their PokeBalls as soon as you stepped out.

Visibility is low, and all you can make out against the downpour are Cicero's vibrant blue scales, the grass beneath your feet, and the shivering Sandshrew. While you're preoccupied with keeping it warm against your chest, your foot catches on a root, and you stumble. But you realize that it wasn't a root. It was Cicero's tail.

He's growling at a Spearow that is trying to look menacing, but the rain just makes it seem a little lost. The Spearow flies at your face, and you stare at its frenzied eyes. It makes to claw your eyes out, but stops when he sees the Sandshrew against your chest.

"Geb?" The bird says. "Geb! What have you done with him? Is he hurt?"

Cicero scrambles up to your back. Back off! He growls and hisses.

But it's Tesla who calms the panicky bird. He emerges from your hat, and locks eyes with it, communicating silently.

Eventually, the Spearow flutters onto your shoulder and just pecks miserably at your ear. "Just get us out of this rain."

**Archimedes  
Male Sparrow  
Timid Nature  
Impetuous and silly  
Route 33**

* * *

**Azalea Town 12:45AM**

At the Pokemon Center, you watch the Spearow-who calls himself Archimedes-pace back and forth, waiting for the verdict on his Sandshrew friend-Geb.

"He and I have been friends since we were little, see?" he says, eventually preening himself. "Him and a Slowpoke from the Well. But recently, I haven't seen her around anywhere, and this human always chases me off if I try to look for her. And then Geb hadn't met me at the usual place for the last few days. I was worried."

You shiver, still in your soaked clothes. "I c-can imagine. He'll b-be fine."

"But I still don't know what happened to Harla," the Spearow complains from beneath Cogs's wing."You must go find out what happened to her. You must!"

"'Must?'" You echo faintly. "Really?"

"Gray," Mistral says, "The poor bird's scared enough. You should take a look around."  
"I should?"

"Gray."

You shiver a bit when Mistral comes close to you, kicking up a small breeze. "Fine, okay," you say. "I'll take a look around for your friend."

"...Thank you." Archimedes ducks his head into his wings, and falls quiet.

Cicero is staring out the window of the PokeCenter, unusually quiet, while Cogs fusses over the Spearow. Tesla hovers near you, but not so close to chill you even further, and Bruce hangs off of your sleeve. All of you jump when a nurse come over to you and clears her throat.

"You should dry yourself off, sir," she says, handing you a towel and a key. "There are some rooms upstairs, and you can wash your clothes in the washing machine. You'll get a cold if you stay like that."

You sneeze, and she nods.

"Like that," she continues, a bit smug. "Your Sandshrew will be fine."

You concede the point.

Upstairs, you change into the spare clothes you had packed in your backpack when you left Violet City. Thankfully, they had been spared the wrath of the rain and damp.

The egg you leave on the bed with Archimedes, who had made you swear to look for 'Harla'-his Slowpoke friend. By the time you leave, the rain outside has calmed itself into a slight drizzle, which is good.

Azalea Town is a quaint settlement, not as big as Violet, nor as small as New Bark. There were the customary PokeMarts and PokeCenters and a Gym all clustered near the center of the town. Wooden houses and log piles surrounds them. What is odd about this arrangement, however, is the little old man with wispy white hair arguing with a terrifyingly big man in a black uniform.

"You are _abusing_the Slowpoke, and holding all of us hostage!" The old man says. "You have no right, and I know that the League will intervene on our-and the Slowpokes'-behalf!"

The uniformed man scoffs and pushes aside the old man. "Shut it, old timer," he says blandly voice. "The only Leaguer here is that Bug Catcher who locked himself up in your Gym. He's not going to do anything. Nothing will interfere with Team Rocket's plans."

He stalks away to the outskirts of the town and descends down the Well.

"Well, crap," you say to your team, "you're all going to drag me down there too, aren't you?"

The response is, of course, a resounding 'yes', and you're forced to follow the grunt down the Well

* * *

**End**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

* * *

**Slowpoke Well 1:02PM**

The inside of the Slowpoke Well is as damp and cold as you'd expect it to be. The air would have been pleasantly chilly if it were not for a cloying, decaying smell that reaches into your throat and doesn't let go.

"Oh, shit," you complain. "What the hell happened here?"

Bruce hisses from your shoulder. "I think I know," he says grimly, and flaps over a puddle of blood that is pooling by your feet.

You shiver, but not because of the cold. "Blood?" You ask faintly, vision becoming very fuzzy. "Blood? Hell no, I'm getting out and away from this place. Just watch me." You make for the ladder, only to find Bruce baring his needle fangs at you from eye-level, and Cicero growling at your feet. "What?" You say, feeling panic rising up and consuming you. "Blood! I can't do this, I-"

Bruce lands on your face. "Gray," he says, "I know you're scared. Believe me, I know. But you can't just leave. What about those Slowpoke? What will you tell that young Spearow? That you chickened out?"

You shake him off, and grab onto the rope ladder. "Frankly, Bruce, I'm not about to get drawn into something bigger than I can handle. That grunt is part of a bigger team, and-"

"Does it matter?" Bruce hisses, hooking a wing around your neck. "So, you leave? And then what? The Slowpoke here pay the price? I'm not the kind of Pokemon to leave a brother or sister in need. Justice must be served."

Cicero bites your leg, and by sheer strength alone, drags you away from the ladder. Go, now. He grumbles. _Come._

"Cicero!" You yelp, placing a hand onto the cave wall to steady yourself. It comes away stained. "Shit! Cicero, let go!"

_No_.

He pulls you deeper into the cavern, and the stench grows stronger.

Cogs warily follows you, and Mistral shudders in apprehension when you see a Slowpoke lying on its side near pools of water. Once you step over to it, you notice that its tail had been lopped off with a jagged edge.

"Help me," she says, weakly. "Please."

Cogs hops over to it. "Gray?" She says, her exuberance subdued. "What do we do?"

You swallow back the bile that's rising up, and suck in a deep breath. "Here's what you'll do, Cogs," you rasp, taking out a Pokeball and capturing the Slowpoke in it. "You take-erm, what's your name?"

"H-Harla."

"Right. You and Mistral take Harla to the Pokemon Center and try to tell the authorities what's happening here. Send medical help, I think there are going to be more Slowpoke in this state," you say, tying the Pokeball to Cogs's outstretched leg. "Can you do that for me?"

She nods, quivering. "I-yes. I can."

Mistral grimly nods, and her body seems to glow in the shaft of light that comes down from the cracks in the ceiling.

**Harla  
Female Slowpoke  
Lonely Nature  
Likes to Relax  
Slowpoke Well**

Tesla drifts out of his Pokeball and watches them fly off. "You wanted to get her away?" He asks as soon as they go out of sight. "So that she wouldn't see?"

You shudder once, and nod. "Yeah," you say, "let's just get this over with. At least we found Archimedes's Harla."

Bruce screeches. "Now you're talking, Gray!"

Farther into the cave, you see that the Well is teeming with grunts, all herding Slowpoke into cages. You duck behind a pile of rocks when you think one of them had spotted you, but you're a bit too late.

"Hey! There's a brat here!"

"You're very talented at stealth, Gray," Bruce sighs.

You abandon your hiding place to scrabble up a ledge. "Don't get all sarcastic on me, Bruce."

"...I would say it's too late for him," Tesla adds helpfully, sending a Night Shade to disable the grunts' Pokemon.

"Not you too, Tesla."

Cicero snaps at a Rattatta that follows you up the ledge and tosses it into a grunt. He laughs in glee and splashes into the Well's waters, disappearing under the clouds of dirt and blood.

When you come to the other side of the ledge and drop down, you land heavily, and lean against the wall to catch your breath. Tesla, who doesn't need to, hovers near a cage of Slowpokes whose tails were slowly growing back into tiny nubs, soothing them with low hums.

Their cries attack your ears, drowning you in a hurricane of "_help us_" and "_it hurts_." You clutch your head, groaning at the sudden headache. Bruce is still hooked onto your jacket, and he licks your cheek.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," you manage to say though the ear-splitting noise. "Just getting a bit sick."

"_You'll be more than sick when I'm done with you."_

You spin around and through the blooming stars that explode across your vision, you see a tall, thin man with dyed green hair and a cruel smirk coming toward you. He's wearing a similar version of the uniform the grunts are wearing.

The man notices your stare, and twirls around as if to show himself off. "Team Rocket Executive Proton, at your service, boy," he singsongs, "I'm also called the cruelest Rocket around." Executive Proton flips out a knife and tips your head toward him. "Lucky you."

You feel a stab of pain as the knife drags along your cheek, but you don't move. Perhaps if you stand still, Proton wouldn't plunge the blade deeper or into any vital organs. Hopefully, but not that likely. Bruce flutters away and screeches at him.

Proton snaps his fingers, and a Zubat and Koffing emerge from his Pokeballs and attack Tesla and Bruce. Bruce dodges the Zubat's lunge, and retaliates with a lunge of his own, wings spread.

Tesla, however, stays still as the Koffing repeatedly tries to Tackle the ghost. The cage he's near to takes the Tackles instead, the metal groaning and bending under the barrage of attacks. The Slowpoke inside slowly get what's happening and start rocking the cage as well.

You feel a trickle of your blood run down your face and your reason shorts out. You shove the Rocket away, slicing your hand open on his knife in the process, you land in water-for the second time today. You just have the _greatest_luck now, don't you?

Proton skids away, but throws his knife at you, cutting your other hand when you try to bat it away. "You know what? No more Mister Nice Guy. I'm going to enjoy killing you. It'll be a warning to everyone who tries to interfere with Team Rocket's revival."

Proton is looming above you, your arm knocks against a familiar set of scales.

"Cicero," you rasp, bumping your fingers to his snout underwater. A rough, sandpapery tongue licks the deep cut on your palm.

"Maybe I won't kill you quickly," The Rocket continues. "Oh, I know! I'll kill your Pokemon first. Starting with that runty Zubat. I'll rip out his wings, and watch him bleed to death-or I can make you watch him die. And then those two you sent away-oh, yes, I saw them-I know just what to do. I'll pluck every feather from your HootHoot's body-what was her name? Cogs?-and serve up that Hoppip as a salad. They do that, you know, in other Regions. Finally that Ghastly. There are ways to maim and kill a ghost, you know?"

Cicero lets out a low, furious growl, and launches himself out of the water and onto Proton, jaws open. A flash of bright, white light engulfs him and he grows and grows. When the light fades, Cicero's pastel blue scales had deepened into a royal blue, and there's a egg-like pattern of yellowish-white on his underbelly. His jaws have lengthened and have become more deep-set. Cicero's mass of knife teeth are embedded into Proton's arm. He rumbles deep in his throat, a threat of serious violence if the Rocket made an attempt to attack. _Back off!_

You stagger to your feet, slipping a little on the muddy floor, and look around for Bruce and Tesla. The Zubat is circling the scene, his enemy lying unconscious halfway in the water, and Tesla's opponent had apparently knocked itself unconscious breaking open the Slowpoke cage. He drifts toward you and looks at your bleeding hands, letting out a small cry of shock.

Cicero turns his head toward you when he hears it, and Proton uses the opportunity to wrench his mangled arm out from Cicero's jaws. He recalls his Pokemon and snatches up a bundle of soggy cash.

"I'll get you for this, boy," he says as he runs away, "Team Rocket will rise again."

"I am a girl," you say, using the hem of your shirt to stem the bleeding.

_Are you okay?_

You gingerly pat Cicero's scaly head. By now, you feel sharp stabs of pain every time you move, but you try to smile at your little-well, he's not so little anymore-starter. "I'm alive, Cicero. Thanks."

He nuzzles your hand, also avoiding the deep cuts, and hums contentedly. You try not to look at the bloodied teeth. _Safe._

"Yes, I'm safe. A bit battered up, but safe."

When you look around, you see a bunch of Slowpoke looking at you from the water. Right-the cages! To your right, there are more containers filled with wriggling Slowpoke tails, and the Slowpokes themselves are tangled in nets. Cicero easily rips apart the remaining cages, and Bruce bites open holes in the cheap nets, letting the Slowpokes slip through.

You wince at a rather sharp sting of pain from your hands, and limp over to the small trail leading to the ladder.

"Let's go, guys," you say, "I want to get out of here."

-  
Azalea Town 4:45PM

Your hands itch, but you refrain from picking at your new stitches. The nurses all had fussed over you once you had painstakingly made your way out of the Slowpoke Well. You had been thoroughly checked for any other wounds, and they had found none other than those cuts on your hands, a few scrapes, and another cut on your cheek and forehead. Then they had pumped you up on a cocktail of painkillers.

You watch the three reunited friends chatter excitedly in the field just outside the PokeCenter. Archimedes had nearly keeled over when the nurses returned 'Geb' and 'Harla' to you.

"I was so worried," he caws to them, "Don't do that again! Ever!"

Harla uncurls her pink rubbery body and waggles her bandaged tail stump. "I'll try not to," she says, a bit teasing. "I think you need to keep an eye out for Geb, though."

Geb lets out an indignant mewl.

Bruce clings to your knee. "You have an idea, Gray," he says, "Care to share with the class?"

"D'you remember tha' Ralph guy?" You slur, still hopped up on painkillers. "'e has three kids right? Right. Why don' we send those three to 'em?"

The Zubat blinks. "That's a good idea, actually. I think they'd like that-it keeps them together, and they'll be well cared for."

"Yea, cherished and all," you say, fumbling around for your PokeGear. "You go tell'em, Brucie. Imma go call the guy-Ralph? Yeah, Ralph."

Mistral nervously comes over to you. "Dear," she says, "Are you...feeling right?"

The Hoppip had evolved during her flight from the Slowpoke Well. Her pink body had turned brilliant green, and the sprouts on her head had blossomed into a yellow flower. Her floppy ears twitched when you pet them.

You let out a giggle, and she looks a bit disconcerted. "I'm feeling fi-ine, Missy!" You say, trying to stand up and falling back again. "Oops. Must'a been a strong painkiller."

Cicero nudges you into the PokeCenter, tutting. _Go sleep. You're being weird._

You giggle again, and grab onto the Croconaw's red spines. "Hup, up we go!" You say, half draped on him. "C'mon, Cic, you're so big now!"

He rolls his glowing eyes, and drags you into your rented room. You stumble a bit, then drop onto the soft, fluffy bed. The egg is on the same pillow that you left it on.

"Tha's an egg," you say intelligently.

Cicero huffs and climbs onto the bed with you. He takes up half of it, and curls around you. He licks your face. _Sleep_.

You hold the egg to your chest and drift off in a medicinal haze.

* * *

**Azalea Town Gym 10:36PM**

"Why didn't you guys stop me from acting like a complete idiot?" You groan, gingerly holding up the wriggling creature that had hatched while you were asleep.

Cicero chuckles. _You were entertaining_.

"You acted very strangely," Bruce adds unhelpfully. "You nearly fell down the Well again."

You stick your tongue out at them and rock the baby Pokemon.

**Ellipse  
Male Togepi  
Calm Nature  
Likes to Relax  
Azalea Town**

He-you assume it's a he-has a body that is reminiscent of the egg he came from, and has a crown of little nubby horns protruding from its yolk-colored head. It squeals when you turn it over to fully examine it.

"'gain! 'gain!" It squeaks, "Gay! Gay!"

"Gray," you correct, taking its little paw. "Say it with me: Gray."

"Gay!"

You give it up as a lost cause. Cogs flutters on your shoulder, staring at it. Mistral coos at it and lets the baby Pokemon play with her petals. You set it on the Gym's leafy floor to take a look around.

Tesla is holding onto your flashlight again, so he acts as your guide. His light reveals that the Gym is basically filled with vines and plant life. Perfect for the Bug-type Pokemon it's known for. Cicero lets out a familiar mumble in you ear, still gnawing on the locking mechanism that he had torn out from the Gym's door, and leaning his head on your shoulder. You snatch the chain away from him, ignoring his dismayed groan.

"Don't eat that, Cicero, it's not edible."

There are moving platforms that are shaped like over-large Spinarak, which makes you kinda sad for a moment. Cogs deflates a little when she sees them.

"Do you think she would have been happy to see Ellipse?" She murmurs to you, eyes still on the platforms.

You step onto a platform after picking up the egg-Pokemon. "Definitely," you say. "And Ellipse? That's his name?"

Bruce peeks out of your pocket. "Cogs named it, not me."

"Well, he does seem to like the name, don't you, Ellipse?"

Ellipse giggles and pats Bruce's wing. Cogs looks utterly pleased with herself.

Once you step off the platform to the Gym arena, you look around the darkened gym. The emphasis on plant life and low hanging vines makes the room seem smaller than it really is, and you step a bit closer to Cicero, who is standing off to the side.

"Bugsy!" You call out into the murky darkness. "Hey, Team Rocket is gone. It's okay to come out."

There's a period of silence that lasts so long that you think that he's not here. Then, a feeble, terrified voice rings out. "Bugsy's not here!"

Cicero rolls his eyes. _Liar_.

"I agree," you say. "Yeah, right. Come out, please. The whole town's kinda worried about you."

"No," came the gloomy reply, "I'm just another coward. I can't even protect my town."

A large Scyther, with a clear green body and razor sharp blades emerges from the rustling leaves. Its head is low, and its shoulders slumped. Bugsy follows after it reluctantly. His silver-purple hair framing his round face makes him seem younger than he is.

"Well," you say awkwardly, "The situation was scary. No one blames you?"

"_You_stopped them."

You feel the weight of his stare, taking in the swath of bandages around both of your hands, your forehead and your cheek. "Erm," you say, shifting from foot to foot. "I really was forced into it. Really."

Bugsy snorts, and sits on the rail outside of the arena. "I heard about what happened in the Well. You were brave."

Cicero's eyes twinkle with amusement as your face grew hot with embarrassment. "Well," you say, "Anyway. The villagers want to see if you're okay. You're their Gym Leader, anyway."

He laughs, and there's a scattering of Bug Pokemon being disturbed by the noise. "I'll come out tomorrow, but...do you want to battle?" He asks shyly, his Scyther's beady eyes following Cicero's every move.

You shrug. "Well, okay," you say, "that's what I'm here for, anyway."


	6. Chapter 6

**Azalea Town Gym 10:54PM**

* * *

You take your place on your end of the arena. Ellipse wriggles up and baps your nose with his soft little paw.

"Gay!," he chirps decisively.

"Yes, Ellipse. Gay," you sigh, and nod at Bruce. "Your game, Bruce," you say.

The Zubat flies off of your arm, and into the grassy arena. He hangs from a vine, waiting for Bugsy to start.

The Leader sends out the scarred Scyther that had followed him to his place on the other side of the wooden fence.

"Come at me," Bruce says, "Do your worst."

The Scyther leers at him, and moves so swiftly that you cannot see what actually happens. One moment Bruce is on a vine, the second, he's on the ground.

"Wing attack, Bruce," you say.

Bruce dodges another lunge from the silent Scyther, and barrels into it with his wings acting as a ram. They fall into a pile of leaves.

"What was Team Rocket doing?" Bugsy asks you.

You stop Ellipse from grabbing the bandages on your cheek. "They were cutting off Slowpoke tails and selling them," you say, "This one guy-Kurt?-said that by the looks of it, they waited until the tails regenerated and cut them off again."

He scowls and looks down. His Scyther leaps back and crouches as if to focus. Bruce uses the opportunity to swoop down on it again.

"Do you have any idea why they were doing that?" You ask. "One of them said it was to revive a Team Rocket?"

Bruce barely dodges another quick attack and retaliates with a wing attack. "It seems to me that they needed money," Bugsy says. "And I've heard-Slowpoke Tails are delicacies somewhere. They must've been selling them for a lot of money."

You nod and Bruce flies back to you, the Scyther unconscious. "Cogs," you say, ending the little owl out. Ellipses giggles and burbles when you try to balance it on a tree stump to let Bruce climb onto you. The baby Pokemon tips over, and you hastily catch him.

"'Gain," he chirps, "'Uce"

Bruce cocks his head. "I think he's trying to say my name?"

You chuckle when Ellipse grabs at him. "'Buce!"

The battle over, you walk over to Bugsy, who is tending to the Scyther. "Um, good battle?"

Bugsy looks down at his Scyther, who is grumbling about bratty Zubats and incompetent trainers, and sighs. "Yeah," he says. "I think I'll visit the Pokemon Center to reassure everyone that I'm okay."

As he leaves, he presses a Hive Badge into your hand.

* * *

**Azalea Town 11:36PM**

"Why can Ellipse talk when he's just been born?" You ask Professor Elm through your PokeGear. You see his face on the screen, and you know he can see yours on his. Elm's rumpled hair and askew glasses suggest that he's just awoken. You're not particularly upset.

"Well, Gray, Pokemon can usually learn things from what's happening outside of its shell," the Professor says. "This Pokemon-Togepi-is one of the many that are highly intelligent. I also hear that they are pretty rare." He claps his hands in glee. "Oh, how wonderful, Gray! You must be a very kind person to-what's that on your face?"

You gingerly touch the bandages. "Erm," you say, "I had a run in with a Team Rocket?"

Elm spits out the coffee he had been sipping. "W-hat? How? Team Rocket disbanded three years ago!"

"I haven't heard of the 'till now. Something about reviving the Team Rocket, then," you say, and spot a mop of red hair coming to you, glowering. "Um, okay, sir. I need to go no okaybye!"

You hang up, just in time to face Silver.

"I heard about your achievement at the Slowpoke Well," he snarls, "You're all this stupid town talks about today, you're a hero."

You scowl. More attention means that news would travel quickly, and the nearest city would be Goldenrod, where they live. You don't want to worry them even more than you do.

"Yeah, great," you say. Out of the corner of your eye, you see Cicero sniffing at Silver's Bayleef, who is defiantly staring back.

"No!" Silver says. "No! You're not supposed to stop them! I am! You're going to stay out of my way, or so help me I will make you regret it."

Cicero snaps his head around, and he coils back to strike, hissing like an Ekans. His eyes narrow, and with the glowing, he seems like an angry spirit out for vengeance. Silver's Bayleef lets out its cry, and paws the ground, tossing its head.

"Cicero, don't," you say, placing a hand on his upper arm. He snarls once, then slinks back. Silver sneers at him, then pushes you aside to get to the Gym.

Tesla mutters something that sounds a bit like "rude," and Cogs chirps in agreement.

The commotion has woken Ellipse from his fitful sleep. He wails plaintively.  
Bruce starts to whine about making it stop.

Cogs chirps and squawks in indignation.

The Togepi cries louder, and you can't get it to stop.

You want to start bawling yourself.

* * *

**Ilex Forest 12:12AM**

**Donna  
Female Oddish  
Naive Nature  
Likes to FIght  
Ilex Forest**

You're sick of forests. Sick of the stupid twigs, sick of the incessant swarms of insects, and sick of constantly wandering around in circles.

Cicero jumps off of your shoulders when you let out a frustrated cry, setting off Ellipse again. He hides his head under his claws.

"Sorry, sorry," you say, rocking the Togepi. "Just-_please_. Stop crying."

Amazingly, he stops for once-but not because of your begging. There's another one of those Kimono Girls wandering about the forest. Her heavy get-up must be stifling in this strangely humid Forest. You walk over to her.

"It seems I have gotten myself lost," she says, smiling up at you. "Do you have any idea where the exit is?"

You scratch the back of your head. "No. I'm lost as well, but I've sent my HootHoot to check where we are."

She smiles at you and takes your arm. "That would be most appreciated. My, you're a gentleman."

"I'm a girl," you say, but Cogs flies back and lands on your head, masking your protests.

"Gray! The exit is just up ahead!" She chirps proudly.

You awkwardly tug your arm forward, causing the Kimono Girl to look at you with those unearthly eyes. "Has your Pokemon found anything?" She asks.

"Erm, the exit is just up ahead, ma'am."

Cogs twitters in amusement at your discomfort, the evil thing.

"Then, I shall take my leave," the Kimono Girl says, daintily walking off.

Cogs chirps and peeks down at you. "Gray, I feel funny," she says, and glows.

You fall forward, and land heavily onto the mossy forest floor. Cogs, now huge and even bigger than you, sits on your head.

"Geroff, Cogs," you groan, trying in vain to throw her off.

"Oops," The Noctowl hoots, and flies up to let you stagger back to your feet, rubbing the back of your neck. She opens her wings, now twice your height, and proudly puffs out her chest. "Look at me, Gray! I'm bigger than all of you!"

You take in her dark brown feathers, now sleek and shiny, her crown of light grey feathers, and her familiar eyes. "Yeah, Cogs, look at you!" You reach over and stroke her head. The feathers are soft and smooth, and your hand is nearly engulfed in them. "I don't think you'll fit on my shoulder anymore," you laugh.

Cicero sniffs her for a bit before tapping her beak with his snout. _Big_, he declares. _Good_.

Bruce pops out of his Pokeball and latches on to your elbow. "Bah, just because you're big now doesn't mean you're more mature," he sniffs, turning his nose up.

Cogs snaps her beak shut with a loud click. "Oh, and you are? I think not."

Mistral's Pokeball vibrates a little against your belt, but she doesn't come out. She had told you before that she wasn't fond of being 'exposed to the elements', as she called it. _Too much of a chance of me being blown away_, the Skiploom had said, _I'm quite fond of you all, so I don't want to leave._

You grab a handful of Cogs's feathers to get her attention. "Come on, let's get out of this blasted forest."

* * *

**Goldenrod City 1:03AM**

**Horatio  
Male Drowzee  
Careful Nature  
Good perseverance  
Route 34**

You stick to the shadows in the alleyways near the street. Even at this hour, there are people bustling about, arms laden with shopping bags from the department store. The combination of noise and lights had awoken Ellipse, but he-thankfully-hadn't cried. He's now very eager to wander off, so you're keeping a tight grip onto his short white fur. You've recalled most of your team into their Pokeballs, excluding Bruce, who is still clinging onto your elbow.

"This is Goldenrod?" he asks, scrambling up to your chest, "It's pretty noisy." His ears are twitching after every loud burst of laughter and chatter.

"Come on, I want to get to m Mom's place without getting spotted," you say, flinching away from a group of giggling movie goers. This whole city is overwhelming you with unwanted sensory overload. You duck down into another alley behind the Department Store. "It's this way."

Ellipse squeals as the cool night wind brushes against him as you sprint. "Cold!" He says, little paws grabbing at the zipper of your jacket and pulling.

Your mother's home is hidden in a little alcove that is tucked between two fairly large buildings. You knock on the door, and you wait for someone-anyone-to answer it.

"Who are you and why are you here at this hour?"

Maybe not anyone.

"Is this where Amanda Teagan lives?" You ask dumbly to the imposing man at the door. The light pouring out onto the dim porch makes him look even more intimidating.

His scowl deepens, but his eyes soften a bit. "Yes, this is."

You shift from foot to foot, and try to keep a hold on Ellipse, who is trying to grab at him. "Erm. Good," you say. "I'm Gray, Gray Grayson." At his blank look, you stress, "Her daughter. I'm sure she's spoken of me?"

He scowls. "Not a peep."

You wince. Now that _stings_. "O-okay, I'll come again in the morning. Sorry to have bothered you."

You start to slink away like a kicked Growlithe, but the man calls out. "You're Teal's sister?"  
"Yes?"

The man holds open the door to you. "Come on in. I'll tell Amanda."

The inside of the little home is both painfully familiar, and completely new. The old wooden railings that creaked when you had climbed on them when you were five were replaced with brand new ones, and the frayed rug in the living room had also been replaced. Pictures of you, your mom, and your dad were replaced with pictures of Teal and that man. There's no sign of you or your dad, and it _hurts_.

Ellipse stops giggling when you collapse on the sofa in the den, and reaches up to pat your nose, as if to comfort you. You sigh, and lean on the soft cushions. As Bruce crawls up to share the cushion, you feel like you're being pushed down by many hands. The cuts on your face and hands ache, and despite that, your eyes slip shut before you can even put down your backpack. Before you fall asleep, you feel a blanket being draped over you, and the feeling of a hand brushing though your hair.

* * *

**Goldenrod City 8:30AM**

You wake up to a heavy body barreling into you yelling at the top of his voice. "Gray! Gray! You're here!"

Cicero, who had probably escaped his Pokeball while you were asleep laughs at you as you try to untangle yourself from the blanket. The weight clinging to you isn't helping at all. "Teal?" You slur, still groggy from your sleep. "'sat you?" Your little brother grins up at you beneath a mop of brown hair and freckles and chipped teeth. Frankly, he's adorable for the tender age of-wait. "How old are you now?"

He pouts and stomps his feet emphatically. "I'm 9, Gray. You should know that!"

You can't help but ruffle his hair. "'Course I remembered," you lie. "I was just testing you."

Cicero pads over from the fireplace across the room to Teal, who gives him a nervous glance-Cicero's taller than him-and sniffs him.

"Don't worry about him," you say to Teal. "Cicero doesn't bite. Much."

"That doesn't help my suspicions on your sanity," Teal deadpans, and playfully punches your arm. "You sneak. You got a Pokemon and didn't tell me?"

Bruce peeks over your shoulder to squawk at him. "Oi, Gray's got more than one Pokemon."

You grab your arm as if to protect your 'wound.' "More than one, actually. I'll show you the whole team later."

The man from last night comes into the living room, and Teal launches into a long spiel of explanations about your screwed-up family to him. "And this is Norman," Teal eventually says to you. "He's going to be a Gym Leader soon in Hoenn." He adds proudly

"That's good," you say awkwardly. "Thanks for believing me and letting me stay here."

The man-Norman-scratches the back of his head. "Ah, no problem. Your...mother wants to see you in the dining room."

Teal makes a face at you."You're in trouble," he singsongs under his breath, so you cuff him.

"Cicero," you call to the Croconaw, and he waddles over to you and follows you into the dining room. You leave Ellipse, still sleeping soundly, on the sofa.

When you come into the dining room, your mother is sitting at the dining table. She doesn't embrace you, or even look up at you. Your Mother is a petite woman, with curly brown hair that you didn't inherit, and a warm, round face that you didn't inherit either. You're probably a splitting image of her husband, and you suppose that's why she doesn't look at you until you take a seat.

"Gray," she says, "I'm so sorry about the misunderstanding yesterday. I don't refer to you by name when I talk about you to Norman, I just call you Teal's sister. I hope you can overlook that."

"Sure."

"What happened to you? You're covered in bandages, and...your eyes. What happened?"

You blink. "My eyes?"

Cicero tugs at the back of your jacket, and points with his tail to a mirror. You snatch it up and peer into it. There it is again! Your brown eyes is no longer-well-brown. It's gold, and no matter how much you blink, the color stays. "I don't really know," you say.

"Then what about the bandages on yo-is that a _knife_?"

Uh-oh, she's spotted the wrapped knife hanging off your belt. "There was a minor incident in Azalea Town, nothing major!" You say, holding your hands up. "Seriously, Mom, Team Rocket left as soon as Cicero evolved and-" You take one look at her ashen face and stop yourself before she has an apoplexy. "I mean, it was nothing! No Teams involved, just an accident. Really. And oh, look at the time. I should really go and feed my team." You start to leave.

"Gray Grayson, you sit down and explain yourself immediately."

You dare not disobey the 'oh-don't-you-dare-disobey-your-mother' Voice, and sit down on the stool. "Yes, mum."

Cicero laughs at you, and you growling at him makes him laugh even harder.

As you relate the story, Amanda reaches over and hovers her hand over your wrist, but not touching you. When you tell her about Proton, the Slowpokes and Team Rocket, her hand lowers a bit to brush your skin, but then she starts hovering again. Eventually, you tell her about the League challenge and how you built your team.

She nods and releases you once you finish. "If you treat your Pokemon well," she says slowly, "They will love you in return. See?" She indicates Cicero, who is now curled around your seat. "He must love you a lot."

You flush a little at the praise, but you hop off of your stool. "Would you like to meet the rest of them?"

Teal streaks into the room. "Gray! The egg-thing on the couch is crying, and I don't know how to make it stop."

Ellipse rolls into the room, bawling. Great.

Your mother picks him up before you, and she cradles him expertly in her arms, instantly calming him down. "This one's cute. What's its name?"  
"Ellipse."

Amanda continues to hold the Togepi, and Norman awkwardly steps over to you. "If you're taking on the Gym," he says, "you should think about trying for a new teammate at Route 35."

"Can I come?" Teal pleads, "Please?"

You exchange a Look with Cicero, and he flicks his tail. _Fine_.

"Yeah, you can come. Can you take care of Ellipse, Amanda?"

She's too busy smiling indulgently at the giggling creature to watch you leave. "I think I can manage."

* * *

**Route 35 10:24AM**

You laugh at Cogs's complete confusion at his presence.

"Who is he?" She keeps on asking you, twisting her head back to look at Teal hanging off of her back. "Why's he here?"

"He's my brother," you say quietly. "Teal Teagan. He wanted to follow us here."

Said little brother is too busy staring at Tesla, who is floating above him. "What do you think you'll catch?" He chirps. "On this Route, I mean."

"I guess the first one that I bump into," you say, Cicero bouncing next to you.

In fact, a few steps into the tall grass gives you a Nidoran to trip over. You land, using your hands to stop your fall.

The purple Nidoran meekly cowers as you pull yourself up.

"Hello," you say to it.

"Hello," it replies, pecking you arm. "Who are you?"

"I'm Gray," you say. "Would you like to join my team?"

The Nidoran looks up at Cogs and Cicero and Tesla and blinks his round eyes. "Okay."

**Tony  
Male Nidoran  
Docile Nature  
Strong Willed  
Route 35  
**

Teal jumps down from Cogs's back. "You can talk to Pokemon?" He asks enviously.

You unclip the Translator from your ear and hook it onto his ear. "Just a translator," you say. "Here, see for yourself."

You watch as his eyes go wide with delight, and as he turns to speak to Cogs, you turn your attention to a pair of Pidgeys chattering to one another up on a tree branch.

_Hey, who are those two humans down there? __Just Trainers. Ignore them._

You take a step back. Tony paws at your pants leg as you shake your head. _You okay, Gray?_

How in the world can you understand them?

You tap Teal's shoulder and point at the pair of Pidgeys. "Hey, kiddo, can you tell what those two are saying?"

He closes his eyes. "No, should I?"

"Nope," You pick him up and place him on Cogs's back again. "It means you're mostly normal."

"Gray!"

You laugh and brush Cogs's feathers. "Take Cogs and the team and head on home to tell Mom I'm going to be late for lunch. I'm going to train Tony with Cicero for a bit."

"Do you want the translator back?"

"Nah, keep it on for the day. It'll be practice for when you get your first Pokemon."

He whoops and Cogs hovers off in the direction of Goldenrod City. Tony bumps into your leg again.

"What, Tony?"

He chirps. _I don't like to fight Ladies. That's why most Trainers just overlook me. Whitney has Ladies, so I'm pretty much useless.__  
_  
You pat his soft skin, not yet the tough armored plates of his evolution, and avoid his poisonous spines. "Don't worry about that. I won't make you fight if you don't want to."

He doesn't look that reassured, so you call Cicero over to scare up some unfortunate wild Pokemon. "I'm not going to release you," you say. "I promise."

_Thank you, but forgive me if I have a hard time believing that_.

You shrug. "Let's get started, then. Show me what you can do."

* * *

**End Chapter 6**


	7. Chapter 7

**Goldenrod City 1:45PM**

After a few hours of training Tony, the woefully crowded streets of Goldenrod is an unwelcome change from the relative solitude of the Route. Cicero had retreated into his Pokeball after taking a rather hard hit from a Trainer's Oddish. Tony, now a Nidorino, pads alongside you.

_It is very different than in my former home_, is what Tony says as he cautiously weaves his evolved body through the crowds. His soft skin had hardened into rock-like formations on his back, oozing poison, and there's this horn sweeping from the tip of his snout that he keeps scratching with a paw. _This itches. A lot_.

"You'll get used to it, probably."

_Well, I don't see you with one of these._

You duck into the Radio Tower, hoping to escape the mass of people heading to and from the Monorail to Kanto. The lobby inside is cool and very open. Potted plants frame pictures of famous Radio stars, including Professor Oak, DJ Mary, Buena, and some other celebrities whose names escape you at the moment. Tony wanders around the reception desks, head low.

You pat his rough hide, and move toward the seats near the desk to get some rest. Before you can actually sit down, a peppy-pink?-haired girl trips down the stairs and you reach out to stop her from bashing into you. She lets out an 'oomph,' before looking put at you and blushing cherry red.

"I'm-I'm sorry," she stammers, but keeps looking up at you.

You try to drop your arms. "Erm," you say. "Do you mind-?"

"O-oh! I'm sorry!" She says and jumps up. "I'm Whitney."

"The Gym Leader?"

"Yes! You should visit sometime," she says eagerly leaning into your personal space. "And..it was nice meeting you, but I have to go now." She ends, deflating a bit.

Tony bumps his head against your leg. What are we doing here?

You fish out your PokeGear. "My Radio Card's broken. That's why."

Tony rolls his eyes.

The first thing you notice when you walk back into your mother's living room is the smell of leftover soup. They must have eaten before you, and that's surprisingly okay.

Tony squeaks when Teal dashes over to him, and crouches down when the boy starts to examine the ridges of the bright purple armor that catch on your clothes when he dashes back to you.

_Too much! Make him stop._

"Teal, you're terrifying him," you say. "Try a different approach."

_Gray_!

Teal nods, then sits on the linoleum floor, patiently waiting. "Hey, Tony," he says carefully.

Tony peaks out from your legs. _Hi_.

As you listen to the conversation, you see Cogs peeking out from the living room. You start toward her.

Tony squawks. _Wait, don't leave me here!_

"You'll be fine."

The whole team is lounging in the living room. Cogs is artfully draped over the sofa you had used as a makeshift bed, and Bruce is lounging in the nook made by the joining of her brow-feathers. Norman is looking at Tesla with an inscrutable expression on his face, and the ghost is looking back with an equal expression.

"Quite a strong team you've got here," Norman says after a while. "You must have trained them well."

You murmur a quiet 'thanks, before settling down near Cogs with a bowl of soup. She immediately tries to dip her beak into it, so you soak a piece of bread for her to eat. "They're all talented," you say.

He looks at you and squints. "You're going to challenge Whitney anytime soon?"

"Probably in the evening or after eating," you reply. "I want to get it over with."

Norman nods, and opens a newspaper to read.

You eat in silence.

* * *

**Goldenrod City Gym 3:47PM**

"You guys ready?"

Tony quivers underneath your hand. "I'm going to mess up, I just know it."

You reach over to fiddle with the translator you got back from Teal. It hasn't been sitting right with you ever since you put it on, as if it's muffling what your team is saying instead of translating.

"You'll be fine," you say. "If you want to switch out, just say so, okay?"

Cicero nudges him reassuringly, and gnaws at the palm of your hand. Let's go.

The inside of the gym can only be described as...pink. Very bright, bubbly pink. And cute, because there are what seems to be Pokedolls on every corner. You feel a bit uncomfortable.

"Hello, cutie," a Beauty says to you as you make your way inside. "You're the one Whitney's been over the moon about."

You duck your head and tip the rim of your hat forward. "Erm, I guess so. Do you know where she might be?"

The woman gives you a long look, and you hold your hands up.

"I'm just a challenger."

She smiles, and pokes a finger at an archway. "She's over there."

As you walk off, you ask Tesla, "What's that about?"

"I'm not so sure."

Whitney jumps up the moment she sees you, and strikes a pose. "Come to challenge the Leader of this Gym, Trainer?" She crows. At your affirmation, she picks two Pokeballs from her belt. "Then the rules will be two-on-two, with no restrictions!" She grins at you. "Do your worst."

You look at Cicero. "You want to try?"

Tony pushes him aside. "I'd like to prove my worth to this team."

"You know you don't need to prove yourself to me."

But the Nidorino shakes his head. "I need to."

Cicero gives you this look, and slowly nods once before slumping on the floor, yawning.

You shrug. "Well, okay. You're up first, then."

Whitney sends out a Clefairy while Tony clambers into the ring, ducking under a colorful beam and creeping into the center of the arena. The Clefairy moves first, moving its fingers back and forth and glowing brightly. He nervously looks back at you as if saying _What now?_

"Try to dodge whatever she throws at you, okay?"

Tony nods curtly, and barely escapes the brunt of the Clefairy's attack: a barrage of heavy rocks that hover around it before flying straight toward Tony. Pebbles bounce off of Tony's armor plates, and he shakes himself free of the remaining stones that are stuck in the spacing between them.

"Good job, Tony," you call out to him, keeping an eye on Whitney. She isn't even communicating with her Pokemon, instead making vague motions that seem to be orders. "Poison sting, followed by Double Kick."

The Nidorino throws his head and lunges at the Clefairy, who grabs the sides of his snout, preventing him from ramming into her. Tony doesn't stop, instead closing his eyes and scratching the Clefairy's soft underbelly with his poison covered horn.

It squeals at the contact and jumps back onto the colorful beam to inspect its wound. Deeming it inconsequential and receiving a quick heal from Whitney, it starts to wave its hands again. Tony braces himself against the floor to take the Clefairy's Body Slam, catching it again with his horn, and using its momentum to kick viciously at its side and already injured underbelly. The Clefairy falls to the ground almost instantaneously and doesn't stand back up.

"Tony," you say when he limps back to you, "that was amazing!"

He blinks and ducks his head aside. "It was? Thank you."

You reach over to dust off his head, watching Whitney send out her second Pokemon: a huge Miltank, with strong legs and an eager look on its face. "You'd better jump in, Cicero."

Cicero uses your arm as a pole vault to jump into the ring, baring his teeth. It's his first actual Gym battle, you realize, and lean over the fence to scratch his chin.

"Good luck out there, Cicero."

He blinks a gold-glowing eye at you. _Luck. Thanks._

The Miltank paws the ground and snorts, but Cicero drops onto his forelegs and slithers near it.

"Stomp!" Whitney cries, and the Miltank rears up and slams her hooves against Cicero's flank. He lets out a low cry, but catches one hoof in his jaws.

Though the Pokemon tries and tries to free itself, Cicero's jaw is locked in place as he regains his footing. He rolls, taking the larger Pokemon down with him. She lands heavily on the ground, and Cicero releases her leg to pin the bovine down.

"Ice Fang, Cicero," you say.

Water rushes out of the Croconaw's throat and freezes over his many teeth before he sinks his teeth into the Miltank's unprotected shoulder. The cow wheezes, but throws him off of her and stands back up. Cicero coils up a few feet away, his bruised flank held close to the ground. He leers at her and bares his teeth, still with pink fluff sticking to them.

Cogs flutters up to the fence, anxiously chirping in concern. You reach out to stroke her feathers. Tony rears up and places his forepaws on the fence as well, peeking up and over.

"Will he be okay?" Tony asks timidly, ducking his head down and falling back to the floor.

Cogs shifts uneasily. "He will be."

You nod, a bit breathless as you watch the Miltank curl up into a ball and roll at Cicero, smashing into him at a very high speed. He latches onto her back this time, and pulls, forcing her to slow down to a stop. The both of them look exhausted, sweat beading on faces, and limbs shaking. The Miltank makes as to drink from her udders-which is kind of weird, when you think about it-but Cicero slams into her, making her flinch.

Cogs hums a bit, and at a nudge from you, opens her eyes wide, and shifts dimensions for a split second, confusing the poor Miltank. She stumbles around a bit, and Cicero hisses whenever she steps a little too close to him for comfort.

"Water gun," you say.

The Croconaw limps up near the Miltank and coughs up a small stream of water, creating puddles of water precariously near the bovine.

"Milky," Whitney calls in concern, "What's wrong, darling?"

Cogs ruffles her feathers and you feel a rustle of invisible energy rushing past you. Cicero pulled his tail taut, and the Miltank tripped over him and the puddles, slamming down onto the ground. She didn't get up.

"Oh, thank Arceus," you breathe, running to catch Cicero when he swoons in dizziness. "You did a good job, Cic."

Whitney takes one look at her fainted Pokemon and bursts into hysterical tears.

You blink. "Um," you say, "Should I-?"

Tony ducks his head under Cogs's wing. "Leave her be. If she's a sore loser, she's a sore loser."

You run your hand under Cicero's jaw, and he blinks a golden, flickering eye at you._I won_.

Cogs spreads her wings. "You sure did! It was amazing."

The Beauty from before steps up to you. "I saw the match," she says. "Everyone did. Don't worry," she says, indicating Whitney, "She always cries after losing. She'll stop soon."

As she says it, Whitney's cries subside into small hiccups, and eventually sniffles.

"Erm," you say.

"I-I'm alright," Whitney says, rubbing her eyes and coming over to you, blushing furiously. "Here," she hands you a shiny badge, "that's the Normal badge, since you beat me fair and square."

"Thank you."

* * *

**Goldenrod City 8:15PM  
**  
"You're leaving _already_?"

Teal looks up at you with big, puppy eyes, but you keep your eyes locked onto your mother's.

"Thank you for your hospitality," you say stiffly. "But I need to move on."

She breaks eye contact first. "That's good."

You kneel down to put your hands on Teal's shoulders. "Take good care of Ellipse, okay?"

Ellipse waves at you from the countertop. After several agonizing hours of bouncing ideas off of Cicero, you had decided to leave the baby Pokemon with Teal's family. You feel that your journey would become even more dangerous from here on out. The fresh change of bandages in your hands and head can tell you that much.

Teal nods. "I will. But you have to visit again, okay?"

"Okay."

You straighten up, exchange nods with Norman, and turn your mother. "I'll be going now, Amanda."

"Good luck."

"I-yeah, thank you." You heft your backpack, now freshly washed and repacked with more supplies-including a first aid kid-and whistle to call Bruce to your arm.

"Are we leaving? Finally"

"Hush, you."

You step out into the darkened streets, and don't turn back to see the warm little home disappear around the corner. You don't belong there anymore.

Bruce perches on your shoulder, and snaps at the floating Tesla. Cicero and Tony are stashed in their Pokeballs, as is Cogs, and you breath in a lungful of brisk air. There's a sharp tang to it, like the cold of high altitude.

_Winter is coming_, a voice in the back of your head says, unbidden.

* * *

**National Park 8:45 PM  
**  
There's some sort of competition going on in the park, and there are numerous Bug Catchers swarming around in the waist high grass in the roped off areas.

Tesla hangs close to you as you inch past them, hoping to avoid notice until-

An injured Scyther with wickedly sharp blades hisses at you when you stumble across its path. Its shoulders are battered from the cuts it took from the Bug Catchers nearby, and it fans its wings in warning.

"I don't want to hurt you," you say in a hurried whisper. "Just let me pass, okay?"

_Lies_. The Scyther hisses.

"Really, I'm not part of this."

_LIES_.

"Please, let me go by. If I try anything, you can attack, okay? I just want to pass."

The Scyther hisses again, but relaxes her stance, but only just. You feel her beady eyes watch your every move as you quietly pass through the bushes and out the entrance of the Park.

* * *

**Route 32 9:12PM**

Tony pops out of his Pokeball when you shut the door of the Park's entrance. He runs to an intersection of paths going north, east and west, stopping to nudge at a quivering Female Nidoran.

"Sister, sister, what happened?" He cries.

She weakly raises her head. _The tree attacked me when I tried to pass._

Tony growls and swings his head to you. "Help her!"

"Okay, okay."

**Lady  
Female Nidoran  
Timid  
Very Finicky  
Route 32**

You hold out the Pokeball to show Tony its safe digitalization to the Box.

"Look," you say, "she's safe. The Box immediately heals wounds, and she'll be safe there."

He grumbles, but ducks his head. "Sorry."

"It's alright. But what's this about a tree moving?"

Bruce leaps off of your shoulder and circles around the tree that's blocking the crossroads. "What even is this thing?" He asks, "It's nothing like the trees that I've been aroun-"

Cogs comes out of her Pokeball and screeches in horror as the fake tree bashes its limb into Bruce, knocking him to the ground where he lay still. She tries to get to him, but flies back when the tree-Pokemon-throws rocks at her. You're about to let Cicero loose when a figure comes barreling out a bush and into the tree. It's the Scyther from before, and she hits the Pokemon again with a slash of her arms, driving it stumbling away.

You rush over to Bruce, but it's too late. He's dead.

Cogs lets out a low keening wail, and Tony bows his head.

You blink away the water in your eyes and turn to the Scyther, breathing ragged.

"T-thank you for your help."

She bows her head. "I should be the one thanking you," she says. "I'm sorry about the Zubat. He looked like a noble Pokemon."

"He was."

She bows hear head again, and steps towards Cogs, humming comfort. You let her.

Tony nudges Bruce's broken body and turns away to dig a shallow grave.

**Cinquedea  
Female Scyther  
Adamant Nature  
Likes to Thrash About  
National Park**

* * *

**End Chapter 7**


End file.
